Socio(logy)
by Kla1987
Summary: AU/Dacey fic - Lacey's in college, Danny's an artist, Jo's strung out on drugs... what happens when their worlds collide in the busy streets of Manhattan? Rated M for language and situations down the road a bit. Also, I'll go ahead and do my disclaimer here: I don't own Twisted (unfortunately), but I do own this storyline - hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Lacey shifted from side to side, checking herself out in the mirror. She was uncharacteristically nervous tonight, and she wanted to make sure that she looked her best. It was an attempt to boost her confidence, an old trick that she'd learned from her mother as a child. "_When you look better, you feel better_" her mother would say to her. She smiled wistfully as the memories of Judy floated into her mind. Her mother – always so concerned about her appearance. Even as she lay in the hospital bed with cancer laying waste to her body, she had always been concerned about her makeup and hair. Lacey blinked back the tears that welled up in her eyes as she thought of her mother, willing herself not to cry. "_Get it together, Porter_" she thought to herself. She ran her fingers through her waist-length curls, watching the delicate way that they fell around her bare shoulders. The rich emerald color of her strapless top complimented the dusky hue of her skin beautifully, and the slight frill of the peplum gave way to her black skinny pants in a way that accentuated her slender frame. She had even found the perfect shoes: black suede Steve Madden pumps with a wedge heel. She touched up her makeup with a light dusting of bronzer over her face and finished the look with a sheer, oxblood lip stain. Satisfied with the finished product, she gathered her phone and clutch, ensuring that she had enough charge on her phone to last her through the night.

Finally, as she headed out to catch the subway, she grabbed the flyer for the art show she would be attending tonight. She hesitated momentarily, looking at the deep brown eyes of the artist, Daniel Desai, staring back at her. The page announced the opening of a new exhibit featuring his latest pieces at a trendy hipster spot in Manhattan. This was the reason she was so anxious about her evening. Lacey, a 20 year old graduate student studying at Columbia University, was on her way to meet with Mr. Desai himself tonight. As part of her criminal psychology class, she had been assigned to research Daniel and to give her findings to a panel of professors. This was an important project, because her level of success would determine whether or not she was accepted as a teaching assistant for the remainder of her time in the degree program. Lacey often felt that she had to work extra hard to be taken seriously in the program, because many of her fellow students were much older than she. She'd thought that pursuing dual enrollment and successfully graduating high school already a junior in college would have proven to those around her that she was serious about her work. However, most people still considered her to be too young. This assignment, she hoped, would change that. Lacey had studied Daniel Desai, child murderer, for several months. Daniel had been sent to a juvenile detention center when he was eleven years old, following the murder of his aunt Tara, at his own hands. Daniel never explained his motivation for taking his aunt's life, and as such many people simply wrote him off as a sociopath. Lacey however, felt that there was more to the story than that. Daniel had been released from the detention center when he reached 19, and had been living in New York City for the three years since. He had made a name for himself as an emerging artist, supplying the voracious art world with unique mixed-media pieces that were unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. Lacey had seen the advertisement for Desai's upcoming show, and, seeing it as an opportunity to do some research firsthand, had immediately jumped at the idea to attend. Now though, looking at the picture of the mysterious man staring back at her, it was hard not to become unnerved. She wished that she could have talked one of her friends into coming with her – unfortunately both Phoebe and Vanessa had plans with their significant others for the night.

Lacey shook off her apprehension as she walked out the door. "_Nothing to worry about_" she thought to herself, "_tonight is the night, and I have a date with destiny._"

If only she knew…


	2. Chapter 2

Lacey arrived at the exhibition hall just as the curator was introducing Desai. She stayed toward the back of the room, silently taking in her surroundings. There was an eclectic mix of patrons at the showing, many of whom were the type of hipsters that frequented this area of town. Some of the edgier people in the crowd were standing off to the right. Lacey noticed that they became almost raucous as Desai ascended the stage. Exploring the faces of the rowdy bunch, Lacey noticed Jo Masterson in the middle of the group, clearly the ringleader. Jo, she remembered from her readings, had been a close friend of Desai's growing up. She had been there with him the day that he killed his aunt, and had become a pseudo-child celebrity over night. Jo had taken a deep spiral into drugs and partying, presumably to escape the trauma that surrounded her following the incident. She had successfully won emancipation from her parents at 16 and had moved to the city. Jo and Desai had reunited after he was released from prison two years later, and the two were virtually inseparable ever since. It was unclear what the status of their relationship was at the current moment, but what was clear was the fact that Jo was hopelessly in love with him. Whether he reciprocated those feelings had never been confirmed, and Lacey wondered now as she observed them from afar.

Desai stepped up to the podium, welcoming everyone and thanking them for coming. He spoke about the inspiration for this new exhibit, and told of the creative process. Finally, he brought everyone up for a toast, thanking a select few who had "helped make it all happen" before disappearing into the crowd. Lacey stood on her tip-toes, craning her neck to see where he had slipped off to, but to no avail. She sighed to herself, thinking that, since she had lost him anyway, she should at least look around at the art.

Lacey wandered through the gallery, taking in the sights around her. Desai's art work truly was unique. It had a strange quality about it that was all at once frightening and beautiful. She gazed across several works in a series, finally settling on the last. This piece was unlike the others in the series, and could have easily been a standalone piece. Lacey lost herself in the cacophony of colors and shapes on the canvas before her, allowing the emotion from the artwork to flow through her as she experienced the artist's vision. This piece, aptly named "Volant" made Lacey feel as though she were flying through space and time, lost in the moment on some sort of psychedelic trip. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to experience the vision all over again as it replayed itself in her mind. She was so immersed in the feeling that she didn't notice him as he walked right up on her.

"Enjoying my work, I see?" he said smugly. His voice was deep and lilting as he sidled up beside her, observing her as she took in his latest (and his favorite) piece.

Lacey was slightly startled, both by his voice and his suddenly close proximity. She had thought herself alone in this part of the exhibition hall, and she hadn't expected to see anyone here, especially not the artist himself.

"Mr. Desai," she started, "yes, actually, I was. This is an amazing piece – I love the colors… you've captured so much emotion and feeling in this one piece. It's amazing!"

Lacey knew that she was gushing, but she was also telling the truth – she absolutely loved the painting. She also decided that it might not be a bad idea to lay it on a bit thick – she did want to get to know Desai better after all.

"My name is Lacey, but the way – Lacey Porter." She said as she extended her hand to him. He grasped it between the two of his and kissed it lightly before responding in kind. "I am Daniel Desai, or Danny, if you'd prefer. Tell me, Lacey, what brings you to my little show tonight? Forgive me, but you stand out a bit from my usual crowd."

With this Lacey blushed slightly. She was charmed by Desai's – _Danny_, she reminded herself – Danny's warm demeanor, but she was also caught off guard that he had noticed that she looked different. She had taken great care to look her best tonight, and to dress in a fashion that would be at home among the Manhattan-ites. She had only lived in the city for a few months, but felt that she blended in pretty well by this point. Obviously, blending in in Lower Manhattan wasn't the same as blending in at Columbia among the college crowd. To Danny, she evidently stuck out like a sore thumb. Yet the way that he looked at her, so appreciatingly with those deep dark eyes, she wasn't sure that standing out was such a bad thing. Since she had his attention for the moment, she decided to make the best of it by being honest with him.

"I actually came to see you, Danny," she started, putting extra emphasis on his name. "I wanted to meet _the_ Daniel Desai, and see what all the fuss is about."

He smiled at her, but she noticed that it didn't quite reach his eyes. "_Great_," she thought to herself, "_now I've gone and ruined it before I even got the chance to really talk to him_." She waited for his response, somewhat tense with anticipation.

"Well, Lacey," he started smoothly, "you're definitely different from the type I usually get. Most of the girls that come to these shows looking for the 'socio' aren't nearly as classy as you."

Lacey flustered, stammering, "N – N – No. I'm sorry, let me start over. I'm a psychology student at Columbia. I've been researching you for the last few months for a project in one of my classes, and I just thought I'd get out of the books and come down for some firsthand research."

"Ah," said Danny, "Now that seems a bit more likely. So – you want to dissect me for one of your papers at your fancy college across town, huh? Well then, that is going to cost you."

Lacey furrowed her brows. "_Cost me_?" she thought, "_Cost me what exactly? What is he getting at here?_" She was a bit apprehensive, thinking of what he may be suggesting, but then decided that she had nothing to lose after coming all this way.

"Name your price, Mr. Desai," she said, confidently lifting her chin. She would not let him see that he'd intimidated her already.

He paused, assessing her before responding, "Meet me tomorrow at this address." He handed her a white card with an address on the back, as well as a phone number and his name. "This is the address of my studio – we can meet there tomorrow at 1:00 pm to discuss the terms of this arrangement."

"Arrangement?" Lacey breathed out. Internally she thought, "_When did this become an arrangement?_"

"Yes, Lacey, arrangement," Danny stated again, never taking his eyes off her. "You want something from me, and I'm more than happy to give it to you, but we'll need to discuss what you'll be giving me in return."

Flustered, Lacey started to respond again, but Danny quickly shushed her. "Don't worry," he said, "I don't want money from you, and I promise to be fair in what I ask for. You've already gone to all the trouble of meeting me in person, don't make your efforts in vain." With that, he placed the card in her hand, grazing his fingers over his wrist and sending a chill up her spine as he did.

"Tomorrow, 1:00 pm" he said to her, smiling as he turned to walk away. "I look forward to seeing you again, Lacey."

Lacey let out the breath she had been holding, running her fingers over the embossing on the card. "Sure," she murmured quietly, "see you then."

* * *

Later that night, Danny lay awake in his bed, his mind racing. It had been a good night, he thought to himself. The gallery show had been his most successful opening yet, and there had been great critical response to his new work. Strangely, though, the most striking moments of the night were the few minutes he spent with Lacey Porter. _Lacey_, he remembered, feeling his manhood stir as images of her flashed through his mind. She was quite possibly the most breathtaking woman he had ever seen. He thought of her beautiful caramel skin, and the sexy way that her raven hair fell over her shoulders and cascaded down her back. When he walked up beside her he had to take a moment to admire her before speaking. He had noticed her when she walked in and had wanted a moment alone with her all night. With Jo there, however, that had been all but an impossibility.

He thought of Jo, looking down at her listlessly sleeping form next to him in bed. "_Why am I doing this?"_ he wondered to himself for the umpteenth time. It wasn't that he didn't care for Jo, of course he did. She was his oldest friend. But lately, she acted as though their "friends with benefits" arrangement was something more than what it was. He enjoyed spending time with her, and he really enjoyed fucking her, but he didn't love her – at least not that way. Her incessant partying and wild lifestyle left much to be desired for Danny. He knew that she was falling in love with him, and he knew that he should put an end to it… but every time he got ready to tell her, somehow something happened, and they ended up in bed once again, and… Well, he just didn't see the point of breaking her heart right now. Jo knew what this was between them – they had made it explicitly clear in the beginning. As she stirred beside him, rousing herself for another round, Danny closed his eyes and let himself get momentarily lost in the feeling of her expert lips exploring his body. He decided he wouldn't worry about this tonight, instead he would let Jo please him as only she knew how. But as he relaxed and allowed his thoughts to flow freely, it wasn't Jo's face he was picturing above him… it was Lacey's.

Tomorrow afternoon couldn't come quickly enough.


	3. Chapter 3

Lacey was nervous again, as she sat on the train staring out the window. She absentmindedly twirled one of the stray tendrils of hair that had escaped from her ponytail, thinking about her upcoming meeting. She'd spent the entire night before tossing and turning restlessly in her bed. She'd tried unsuccessfully to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes she was haunted by soulful brown eyes that refused to give her peace. She had been unnerved by the way that Danny had looked at her the night before. His stares, though flattering in their obvious admiration, also had some sort of possessive quality about them. He had looked at her as though she was his, and the scary part was that she wasn't altogether put off by it. "_Stop it, Lacey_," she scolded herself internally, "_this is not what you're coming here for. You need a story, not a sociopathic new boyfriend_!"

But even as the thoughts left her mind she knew that they weren't true. She didn't believe for one moment that Danny Desai was the sociopath the way that many claimed. Sociopaths were completely incapable of feeling and emotion, and it was obvious in his artwork that he was more than capable of not only feeling, but also expressing his emotions deeply. Lacey felt that she had made a connection with Danny the night before through his paintings, and she looked forward to delving deeper into his mind today in his studio. He had also piqued her interest with his talk of an arrangement between them. "_I wonder what Danny Desai has in mind for this 'arrangement'_" she thought to herself. There were butterflies in her stomach as the subway train reached her stop. She quickly gathered her things, pulling her brown leather messenger bag from the seat and shrugging on her black blazer. She'd brought the jacket in an attempt to make her casual boyfriend jeans and white tank look slightly more professional, but in the balmy weather that was apparently standard for August in New York, it was just hot. Lacey pulled the jacket back off, deciding as she walked the block and a half to her destination that casual would just have to do today. "_Besides_," she reasoned, "_it isn't as though I've never met the man before. Surely he won't be expecting me in full business attire_."

Lacey arrived at the address printed on the card, and was pleasantly surprised by the look of the building. It was an old warehouse building that had been converted into a loft. She had read that Danny had become independently wealthy after the untimely death of his father when he was 17. His mother, distraught over the death of her husband, and feeling as if there was no longer anything to live for herself, had attempted to take her own life soon thereafter. Mrs. Desai had retired to a "recovery facility" in Sweden, and had not been back to the States in a number of years. Danny, Lacey knew, travelled to Sweden to visit his mother from time to time, but lived a life largely independent of any other familial ties. His younger brother, Rubin, had committed suicide while Danny was still incarcerated, and Lacey knew that Danny rarely mentioned him. It was apparent, though, that the older Desai clearly cared for and deeply missed his younger brother. Some of Danny's most famous paintings were those pieces which had been inspired by Rubin. Those works, which captured beautifully the deep feelings of loss and despair Danny must have felt at the death of his brother, were the very pieces which had catapulted him onto the main stage of the New York art scene. Lacey thought that it was more than a bit morbid, the way that people always gathered around to relish in the pain and sorrow of others. Still, she had to admit to herself, Danny was a true artist and he deserved the praise and adoration his work had garnered for him.

Lacey rang the buzzer at the front of the building, and walked into the landing as the door unlocked allowing her entrance. She took a moment to take in her surroundings as she waited for her host to appear. The building's inside had an industrial quality to it, and she gazed around at the exposed beams and chipped paint on the walls, taking it all in. Suddenly, she heard the elevator shaft begin moving, and the lift made its way to the bottom. Off stepped Danny, breezing in in typical fashion. He smiled at Lacey and she couldn't help but be mesmerized by it. He had perfect teeth, straight and white. His lips were shapely and full, yet still masculine, and Lacey could easily imagine herself kissing them.

"_Get it together, Porter_!" she chided herself again. She seemed to be losing her train of thought more and more around this man. That was something she had decided he could never know, though. So instead of showing him how flustered he had made her once again, she simply extended her hand to him and warmly returned his smile, saying, "Hello Danny – ready to get started?"

"_This woman is ravishing_," Danny thought to himself as he shook Lacey's hand, smiling. "_One way or another, she's going to be mine_," he decided internally. To her, though, he simply took her hand, kissing it as he had the evening before, and said, "Welcome to my studio, Lacey – would you like me to show you around a bit?"

Lacey gracefully acquiesced and he led her to the elevator lift so that they could move to the second floor. She made idle small talk about the weather and her trip on the subway, then moved the conversation to his show the night before. She related to him again how much she had enjoyed seeing his work first hand, and he thanked her. When they got to the top of the lift, he ushered her out of the elevator car and into his spacious studio. Danny couldn't help but smile in satisfaction as he heard the small gasp that escaped her lips as she took in the sight before her.

"_This_ is your studio space?" she gushed as she looked around. He had to admit to himself that it was an impressive sight. He had used some of the money from his inheritance to purchase the entire warehouse building, gutting it bare. The warehouse was over 5,000 square feet, and he had converted all of it, splitting it into studio and living space. Two thirds of the building was utilized as his work area, and there were different sections set up where the artist worked on several pieces simultaneously using different mediums. To the east side of the building was a wall made completely of windows, and a breathtaking view of the harbor and Brooklyn Bridge. It was great inspiration for Danny when he felt like painting some of his lighter pieces, like the one he had begun very early this morning. The painting, though not developed enough to have fully taken shape yet, was already another painting that strayed from his usually macabre art. This one exuded hope and beauty and sunlight – something altogether unheard of in his previous work. He looked forward to seeing the end product, and decided he would get back to it after his meeting with Lacey ended.

"Indeed it is – this is where the magic happens," Danny said, wriggling his eyebrows and bringing yet another smile to Lacey's face. "Feel free to look around, Lacey. I'll be right back and then we can get started."

* * *

Danny left Lacey to her own devices in his studio as he moved back into the living area of the building for a moment. He'd heard his cell ringing and, not wanting anyone to disturb him while he was with her, he went to find it and turn it off. By the time he got to his bedroom and located the phone, the caller was already on the third try. Irritated, he checked the ID and was unsurprised by the name that appeared. "_Jo_," he thought to himself, "_you just left here not even an hour ago – what could you possibly want already?_"

After spending the evening before with Jo, Danny had become even more convinced that he should end things with her. What had started as an equally beneficial arrangement between the two of them had spiraled out of control over the last few months. Danny had been pushing Jo to get clean, and had been supporting her through her struggles. Jo, however, had taken this to mean that Danny cared about her as more than a friend. More often than not she was acting like a jealous girlfriend, angry when he spent time with other women and petulant when he rebuffed her advances. Last night after they'd fucked again, she had finally said the words he'd been both expecting and dreading for awhile – "I'm in love with you Danny Desai."

Danny had tried to pretend that he was asleep in order to avoid answering her, and Jo was so high that she hadn't noticed at first. She simply did another line before collapsing into the bed. She was the only person he had ever known that could do a line of cocaine and, instead of being riled up and ready to go from the drug, would fall asleep immediately. It disturbed him to see the downward spiral of his once best friend. He wanted to comfort her and take care of her but… Danny simply didn't love her. He had told her as much when she woke to find him painting his new piece early this morning. Jo… hadn't taken it well. She had screamed and ranted, accusing him of using her and destroying anything she could get her hands on in the near vicinity. He had finally calmed her down enough to get her to leave, but since then she had been calling incessantly, leaving him tearful voicemail messages about how she was "sooo sorry" and that she would "never do that again" if he would just give her another chance. She promised to go back to the way that things had been between them before if he would just let her in.

If it were any other time he probably would, but something had changed for Danny after last night. When he met Lacey, he'd been immediately drawn to her. After she'd introduced herself he was somewhat disappointed to find that she was only interested in talking to him as part of her project for school. Still, whatever the reason, he was happy that he would see her again.

Danny made his way back to the front and saw that Lacey had settled herself on the cushy leather sofa nearest the windows. She had taken down her ponytail and he couldn't help but think that she looked absolutely breathtaking against that backdrop, with the afternoon sun shining in her hair. He walked over, offering her a bottle of water before seating himself across from her. She gave him another of those award-winning smiles before delving right in.

"So, Danny – as I told you last night, I am doing a project on you as part of one of my criminal psychology classes. Basically, the premise is to study you, your crime, and how it has affected your development into an adult. I've already read more than enough to draw my own conclusions about the crime itself and your life from an outsider's point of view… however, what I'm interested in now is getting to know the _real_ Danny Desai, outside of the confines of my textbooks." Lacey bit her lip and took a breath, waiting anxiously for Danny to respond. She'd said all of that in a bit of a rush, and now Danny seemed to be mulling over her words before deciding on an appropriate response.

Finally, he spoke. "Lacey – what I got from that is that you want to get to know me. You want to get inside my head and figure out what makes me tick, correct?"

"More or less – yes," she responded apprehensively, expecting him to change his mind about letting her interview him now that he fully understood what it was she was after.

"Hmm," he said, "Okay then – we can do that. However, as I told you last night, it is going to cost you something."

There it was again, his allusions to this "arrangement" between them. He had yet to elaborate exactly what it was that he wanted from Lacey, so she decided to stop playing the cat and mouse game with him and come right out and ask.

"Yes, our arrangement. What exactly do you have in mind, Danny?"

"Simple," he responded, "If you're going to be spending time with me, analyzing my psyche under a proverbial microscope in an attempt to 'better understand me', then I would like the opportunity to do the same to you. Therefore, you may interview me as often as you would like and ask as many questions as you want…"

"But…" Lacey prodded – she knew there was more to it than this.

"But," Danny continued, "for every question I answer for you or every bit of information you extract from me, you must in turn give me a piece of information about you."

Lacey couldn't decide how to take this proposition from Danny. Several things had run through her mind about how this "arrangement" of theirs would be constructed, but this particular situation had never occurred to her as an option. She thought it over for a few minutes, trying to look at it from his point of view. "_What could he possibly be getting out of this_?" she thought to herself as she looked across at him. She studied him momentarily, admiring the way his inky black hair fell loosely around his tan face, shrouding him with an air of mystery as he gazed back at her. Her eyes travelled again to his lips and, without thinking, she licked her own. This caused Danny to smirk, raising his eyebrows at her slightly. She was knocked out of her momentary daydream by his action, and a blush began to heat her cheeks as she struggled to regain her composure. She looked down quickly at her non-existent notes, feeling the need for her eyes to be anywhere but on him at the moment.

"So, Ms. Porter," Danny started, bringing her back to reality, "what's it going to be?"

Lacey looked at Danny defiantly, not appreciating his obvious amusement at her frazzled state. She took a breath before answering him confidently, "I'm in."

* * *

**Thank you guys for the reviews - I am glad that you are enjoying the story thus far! I'm having fun with our favorite couple now, but be prepared - ish starts to get real in the next few chapters. **

**Comment and let me know where your head is ~ in the mean time I'll be working on the next update!**


	4. Chapter 4

From that point forward, Lacey became an almost permanent fixture in Danny's life. She spent hours with him every day in his studio, watching him work and trading questions back and forth about their respective lives. If she had been apprehensive about their arrangement at first, her reservations quickly dissipated as she spent more time with Danny. Far from the sullen and aloof artist image that he often portrayed for the rest of the world, Lacey came to know Danny as a charismatic and caring man that she enjoyed spending time with more than she should. He opened up to her little by little, allowing her into his world and showing her the best parts of his life now. Sometimes he would reference the darker times of his life as well, but, although he was always honest with Lacey about his past, he refused to dwell on it. She learned that it was better to simply not ask questions about those times, feeling put off by the way in which he retreated into himself during those moments. "_Besides_," she reasoned to herself, "_I have more than enough research from my studies to fill in those blanks for my paper_."

In truth, Lacey's feelings for Danny were growing every day. The time that she spent with him as they got to know each other made it increasingly difficult for her to look at him as a subject for her assignment. She saw Danny for what he truly was, and she had to admit that she was beginning to fall for the man behind the image. The endless hours that she spent with him outside of her class time were the best parts of her day, and she found herself feeling more and more reluctant to leave him each evening. She didn't quite to know what to make of the dynamic between them, and she wondered what he felt about her. To be sure, she knew that he found her attractive in the physical sense, but she often found herself wondering if there was more to it than that. He seemed genuinely interested in learning as much about her as she was about him, listening intently as she animatedly told stories from her childhood, or about her life before moving to New York. She never told him the bad things that had happened in her life, though. She never spoke about the pain of watching her mother slowly succumb to breast cancer, or of her irrational fear that the disease would someday claim her own life as well. She also didn't tell him about what had happened to prompt her to move to New York from her comfortable life back in Seattle (her hometown). She guarded these secrets, holding them close to her heart and refusing to acknowledge them, much the way Danny avoided talking about his brother Rubin, or what had prompted him to commit the egregious murder of his aunt all those years ago.

Still, despite their secrets, Lacey felt an undeniable connection with Danny. She often found herself fantasizing about him as she lay in bed at night, wondering what it would be like to touch him… taste it… feel him… It had been so long since Lacey had been with a man. After the incident with Archie, her boyfriend from undergrad, she had been reluctant to become intimate with someone again. She knew that she wasn't ready for that just yet – especially not with someone she had only known a few weeks. Still, she couldn't avoid the images that entered her mind as she lay in bed, feeling the heat grow in her core. She closed her eyes and allowed her hands to slip down between her legs and into her slick folds, imagining that it was Danny there instead. She touched and teased, bringing herself closer and closer to climax as she imagined all the things that she wanted him to do to her. His lips, his hands, his eyes, paint… it was all too much for Lacey, and soon she had pushed herself over the edge. She lay there in bed, savoring the sweet euphoria that surrounded her following her release. She drifted into a sleepy oblivion, still imagining that he was there with her, holding her close to him.

* * *

For his part, Danny had never spent so much time in the presence of a woman without having _had_ her. Generally, he found such situations tedious and did not go out of his way to seek them out. Yet, he knew from the beginning that Lacey Porter was different from the other women in his life, and, if he wanted to keep her there, he should treat her as such. Over the last few weeks, Danny and Lacey had spent virtually every day with one another, and he was now even more enamored with her than he had been initially. He found her sharp mind and quick wit both challenging and fascinating, and he thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her on the most basic levels. Moreover, he appreciated that she, while inquisitive, did not push him to tell her more about himself or the dark parts of his life than he was comfortable with. Mostly, though, he was just grateful that she treated him like a real person. It was odd to him that the one person who had come to him with the express purpose of studying him as some sort of experiment was the most honest and relaxed person with him overall. She didn't treat him as though she wanted anything from him, and wasn't impressed by his wealth or status. She also wasn't intimidated by the fact that he was, despite his best attempts to prove otherwise, a convicted murderer.

Danny had spent most of his life learning to hide his feelings or to simply compartmentalize until they no longer came to his conscious mind. He had become so good at this act that most people really considered Danny to be a sociopath. He thought about that momentarily, acknowledging that, at the most basic level, those people were probably right. He didn't feel things the same way that others did, and although he was excellent at perceiving and mimicking emotions, giving the right reaction to situations where appropriate, he mostly felt dead inside. He was manipulative and charming, two qualities to which he attributed a great deal of his success.

Still, Danny knew that he did feel things. The feelings were occasional, as he had learned long ago that most people were not worth the grief associated with caring for them, but they were there nonetheless. He remembered the last time he had cared deeply for someone… it had been his little brother, Rubin. He had loved Rubin so much that he had killed for him, given up his own life and chance at normalcy in order to protect Rubin from his aunt Tara, and the inevitable psychological damage that would have ensued had he allowed Tara to continue harming his little brother. Danny had sacrificed everything to protect Rubin, only to find out that it was too late and that the damage had already been done. Danny loved Rubin more than anyone else in his life, and Rubin had left him anyway, unable to live with the guilt and pain of surviving such a gruesome incident. After Rubin's death, Danny had all but checked out emotionally. The only time he ever allowed himself to feel anything was when he was painting. In his art, Danny found release and in Lacey, he found redemption. Lacey was the only person he had ever known who knew him almost as well as he knew himself, and yet never seemed to judge or berate him for it. She understood him in a way that went beyond the clinical context of her studies – _she really got him_.

Danny decided that it was time to take whatever was developing between Lacey and himself to the next level. So when she showed up at his studio the next day following the cancellation of her afternoon classes, he decided to take a chance and ask her out on a date.

"Lace," he began, the tentative and unsure tone immediately alerting her to the fact that something different was on his mind today.

"Yes…" she responded, somewhat anxious about what could have set him so ill at ease. Danny always, always exuded confidence around her, and she was confused at seeing him slightly flustered today.

"I was thinking," he continued, "you and I have been playing this 'getting to know you' game for awhile and I've decided that I would like the chance to get to know you at a deeper level."

He saw the conflict that briefly crossed her face as she processed what he'd said, and he almost lost his nerve. However, he decided that he'd come too far to take it back now, so he pushed forward again. "I'd like to take you out… on a date… tonight, if you aren't busy."

He sat back, studying her perfect image as he waited for her to respond. She looked especially fetching today, wearing a striped, tailored button down shirt over skinny jeans and ankle-high brown suede booties. She had her long, thick hair piled up on the crown of her head in a messy top-knot, and he noticed that she was wearing the cutest tortoise shell retro-specs. "_Does she wear contacts most other days?_" he mused internally, continuing to study her beautiful face, noting idly that she still hadn't responded to his invitation.

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, but was in actuality probably only a few seconds, Lacey responded to Danny with a tentative smile as she breathed out a quiet, "Yes, please."

Danny was elated that she had decided to go out on a real date with him, and his elation shone brightly on his face. His entire countenance changed, as the two stared and smiled at each other like teenagers.

"Great!" he said to her, "I'll make reservations for dinner, and come by your apartment at 8:00 to pick you up – good?"

"Perfect," Lacey smile at him again before inquiring, "What should I wear? What do you have in mind for the evening?"

Danny smiled at her, saying, "Wear whatever makes you feel good. No matter what you decide on, you'll be beautiful, and perfect for where we are going tonight."

Lacey left the loft with that, considering outfit options as Danny called both the restaurant and box office. He was going to make sure that this night was a special one, and one that Lacey would surely remember.

* * *

Not ten minutes after Lacey's departure, there was a buzz at Danny's door. He looked around quickly to see if she had forgotten something before heading to the door. When he answered it, though, he wished that he hadn't. Jo was standing in front of him, obviously wasted and all but incoherent with her slurred speech. He was disgusted by the look of her, and by the depth of her intoxication at 2:00 pm. "What did I ever see in her?" he thought idly to himself as he helped her inside. "Oh, yeah, a great mouth and an experimental nature that allowed me to completely have my way with her."

He felt a bit of remorse and pity wash over him as he looked down at the babbling woman in front of him. How had they gotten there? Jo Masterson had once been his best friend in the world, and now they were virtual strangers to each other, held together only by the memories of their past life and the occasional tryst. Even though she no longer appealed to him sexually, Danny did still feel for the girl on some level. He roused her just long enough for her to begin crying, shouting that she loved him and that she needed him. Quickly regretting waking her, he left her to her misery on the floor of his landing while he walked back to where he'd left his phone. He dialed the number that had been saved in his phone since he was released from incarceration, but had never before called.

"Masterson," the gruff voice at the other end of the line answered after the second ring.

"Kyle – it's Danny Desai," Danny started off, hoping the man on the other end didn't immediately hang up on him.

"Desai… how can I help you?" Jo's father responded, caught off guard by the younger man having reached out to him.

"It's about Jo – she's doing really badly here. I can no longer be responsible for her, and I think that she needs rehab. Can you and Tess come get her? She's at my studio now."

"Sure son," Kyle sighed, "be there in a couple of hours."

Danny looked back over the once again unconscious form of Jo laying sprawled on his floor. "_I care about you, Jo_" he thought to himself, "_but I can't risk our sordid past endangering my future with Lacey – you've got to go_."

With that, he left her there in her incoherent state, and set about making the rest of his plans for the evening.


	5. Chapter 5

Lacey stared at herself in the mirror, checking herself out from every angle to make sure that she looked perfect. Tonight was the night that she and Danny would be going out on their first official date, and she wanted everything to be just right. She had waited a long time for this, and now that he'd finally asked her out, she was trying desperately to control the butterflies in her stomach.

"God Lace, can you quit fidgeting in the mirror?!" her best friend Vanessa called to her. "You're freaking gorgeous, woman! Mystery Man isn't going to be able to keep his eyes off you tonight."

"Yeah," her other friend, Phoebe chimed in, "or his hands either for that matter!"

Phoebe wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at Lacey's reflection and the two girls shared a conspiratorial laugh on her bed. Lacey rolled her eyes at her friends, and went back to inspecting herself. Her makeup was done, and she was satisfied with her outfit choice. She had decided on a cobalt blue dress with an A-line skirt and lacey overlay at the bodice. It was both flattering and understated. She accented this with a simple pearl necklace and pearl stud earrings. Her hair, though, she was having trouble deciding how to style. She knew that Danny liked it when she had her hair pulled back, but she also knew that he preferred being able to see its length. She'd considered pulling it back away from her face and letting the back hang long, but Vanessa had nixed that idea, telling her she would look like a school marm if she went for that look. Instead, her friend had suggested, she should pile all of her hair on one side in an asymmetrical style that would allow it all to cascade beautifully over one shoulder.

Finally she was dressed, checking the clock to see that it was just before 8:00.

"Okay ladies, time for you to go!" Lacey began hurrying her friends out of the apartment, hoping they would leave before her date arrived.

"Just a minute Cinderella," Vanessa started, "we don't get to meet Mystery Man?"

"Not tonight," Lacey said, biting her lip nervously.

"And why not?" questioned a disgruntled Phoebe. Lacey didn't have to be looking at her to know that she was standing in her trademark pouty stance, complete with hands on her hip.

"Because it's our first date, and I don't want you two scaring him off," Lacey joked nervously. "_I don't have time for this_," she thought to herself, "_they need to leave now!_"

Lacey didn't admit to them the real reason she was hesitant for them to meet her date. They both knew all about the alluring man that she had been spending time with for her criminal psychology project. They also knew all about his history. And although Lacey never felt afraid of Danny, never felt that she was in danger when she was in his presence, the truth of the matter was that he was a murderer, and he was a research subject for her. At the very least her pursuing a relationship with Danny was unethical from a research standpoint. She wasn't ashamed of Danny in any way, but she also wasn't ready to explain to her friends how she had fallen for him already.

"_Is that what I'm feeling_?" Lacey wondered idly as she sent the girls on their way and waited for Danny to show. "_Am I falling in love with Danny Desai_?"

Before she had time to further contemplate that line of thought, there was a knock at her door. She gave herself a once-over before going to answer it. On the other side of the door stood Danny, looking devastatingly handsome. He had on dark indigo jeans and a button down shirt (with several of the buttons undone), and a blazer to make it "dressy". He wore his shoulder-length tresses down and free and it took all of Lacey's self-control not to reach out and run her hands through his silky black locs.

"Lacey," he greeted her as she opened the door, "You look amazing! Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," she said, grabbing her clutch and shawl and walking out the door, arm in arm with her man for the evening. Ever the gentleman, Danny opened her door, ushering her into the car before making his way over to the driver's side himself.

Lacey couldn't help but smile as she looked over at him. They made their way through traffic, maintaining steady conversation as he took her to whatever secret rendezvous he had in store for her this evening. Lacey was so enamored with him and distracted by being in such close proximity to him, that she barely registered where he was taking her. It wasn't until they arrived at the pier that she realized he was taking her out on a boat.

"We're here m'lady," Danny said to her as he opened the door for her to exit. Lacey looked out at the boat in front of them and had to admit that she was impressed. It was a small boat, obviously one that was kept for personal and not commercial use.

"Is this yours, Danny?" Lacey implored as they stepped onto the dock.

"No," he said, "It's on loan from a friend for the evening. But I could most definitely buy one like it if you wanted." He flashed her his signature smirk and Lacey wasn't entirely sure whether or not he had been joking.

He had prepared for a private catered dinner for the two of them. For this, he had contacted one of his friends who owned a local seafood restaurant and had him prepare a meal made entirely of foods native to the west coast – Seattle to be exact. Danny watched as Lacey's eyes lit up with surprise and excitement as she was treated to several dishes that she hadn't had since she had left home over a year ago. He saw that the meal - a relatively small gesture, all things considered – made Lacey noticeably happier and he wondered why she never visited or spoke about home. He figured that was something she would tell him when she got ready, and he decided not broach the subject now.

Lacey spent the evening telling him stories about growing up in Seattle, and about how different things were here in New York. The dreamy look on her face when she talked about her childhood made Danny wistfully wish that he'd been there, too. He wondered what it would have been like if he had met Lacey when he was younger, and grown up with her. He pushed those thoughts to the side, deciding it was best not to dwell on the "what-ifs" of life – she was here with him now, and that was all that mattered.

After dinner, Danny took Lacey to a theatre to see a private production of "Wicked", performed by the actual Broadway cast. He knew from their conversations that it was her favorite play, and that she had wanted to see it actually performed on Broadway. It made him feel good that he was able to do this for her, and it made him even happier to see how happy it made her.

At the end of the evening, he brought Lacey back to the studio. He didn't know what he wanted exactly, he just knew that he wasn't ready for the evening to end. He made tea for the two of them, and they sat on the sofa facing the harbor, looking out into the night. The city looked so alive right now. The bright lights of the buildings reflected off the water, and shone bright in Lacey's eyes.

"This view is beautiful," Lacey breathed as she looked out the windows.

"Indeed it is – breathtaking," Danny said, but he wasn't looking at the water – he was looking at Lacey.

Lacey felt his eyes on her, and she looked over at him nervously. The way he looked at her tonight was new to her. His gaze held so many emotions, and she was both excited and afraid to explore those feelings with him. He took her mug from her hand, placing it on the coffee table in front of them and pulling her in close to him. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked into his eyes, watching them dilate as his own breathing quickened. He licked his lips in anticipation before leaning in to touch his lips to hers, softly.

The kiss, tentative at first, quickly grew in intensity as they both relished the relief that came with finally being able to experience each other. Their kisses lasted for several heated minutes, as they languidly introduced these new sides of themselves to each other. Danny reclined on the couch, pulling Lacey down on top of him as their make-out session intensified again. Suddenly his hands were everywhere, and she pressed herself into him, wanting to be closer, closer, closer…

Then, Lacey froze mid-kiss, and began shaking on top of him. Danny, noticing immediately the classic signs of an anxiety attack, pulled Lacey in close to him, rubbing her back soothingly and whispering to her, "It's okay, it's okay" over and over in an attempt to comfort her.

Danny was more than a little confused about Lacey's sudden change in demeanor, but he continued to hold onto her, hoping to calm her down. He became even more concerned as he felt wetness on his chest and he looked down to see Lacey crying quietly into his shirt. Suddenly afraid that he had done something irrevocably wrong to her, Danny reached his hand out to caress the side of her face, bringing her chin up so that she would look him in the eye.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Danny, I'm so sorry…"

The words were the only thing she could think to offer him at the moment. She was absolutely mortified by how she'd reacted to him, and was now convinced that he thought she was insane. And maybe she was – to some degree. She was so embarrassed by her actions, and heartbroken that she had killed the moment between them.

"Shhhh…" he whispered into her hair, "relax baby. It's okay. I'm here, I've got you…"

"_He's so sweet_," she thought to herself, "_how did I ever find such a wonderful man_?" Slowly she felt herself calming down and relaxing into his arms. Her sobs dissipated and she came back to herself. "_I'm here on the sofa with Danny_," she told herself, "_he can't hurt me here… he can't hurt me ever again_."

Danny reached down to pull her chin up and she slowly raised her eyes to meet his. Gone was the unyielding passion she had seen just moments before. Now all she saw when she looked into his eyes was care and concern for her well-being. She knew that she needed to tell him what was wrong, if only to reassure him that she wasn't afraid of him.

"Want to tell me what just happened?" Danny asked her gently. He wanted her to open up and let him in, but only at her own pace. Still, he racked his brain trying to figure out what he had done to cause her to freeze him out the way that she had. He sensed her hesitancy to respond to his question, and he decided he wouldn't push her on this issue either – she would tell him when she was ready.

Lacey decided that, if she and Danny were going to do this, they were going to have to go slowly. She knew it was only fair that she let him know why she wasn't able to go there with him just yet.

Taking a deep breath, Lacey mustered together her courage. "Danny," she started, looking at him intently, "I need to tell you something."

Soon, it all came pouring out. She told him about Archie, about how he had been so abusive to her, forcing himself on her and taking advantage of her many times over. She cried again as she let it all out, all the things she had kept inside for fear of the stigma that would come with letting her truth be known. She told him how when they'd met, Archie had seemed like a perfect fit for her, how they'd dated for three years during high school and while she was in undergrad. She talked about how things had been good between them at first, but as the relationship went on, how he had turned dark. He had abused her verbally and physically, and had just about crushed the life out of her. She finally found the strength to leave him one day, fearing that he would literally kill her if she stayed, but she suffered some deep emotional trauma from the experience. She had been to counseling, and she had moved to New York as a way to get a fresh start. Although she had adjusted well and no longer suffered the daily anxiety that once plagued her, she hadn't been with anyone romantically since Archie.

She finished telling Danny her story, and, steeling herself, she looked up at him, unsure of what his reaction would be. Thankfully, all she saw in his eyes was adoration and caring – he wasn't angry or disgusted with her as she had feared. He kissed her lightly, and thanked her for being so candid with him and trusting him with her feelings. He wasn't angry with her at all, but he did look at her with wonderment. "_How could anyone look at this beautiful woman and treat her so badly_?" The thought of someone taking advantage of and abusing Lacey made his blood run cold, but he fought to maintain control and stay away from the dark places within his mind.

To her he said, "Thank you for telling me that, Lacey, I feel like I understand you so much better now. You are still beautiful and special to me, inside and out. In fact, maybe even more so now that I know a little of what you've been through."

He pulled her close to him again, resting his chin on top of her head before continuing, "You have no idea how incredibly special you are to me Lacey Porter. I don't care if you aren't ready for anything more than kissing yet, I'm just happy being around you. We can go as fast or slow as you feel comfortable going… I just want to be with you."

Lacey beamed at Danny, grateful for his words. It meant everything to her that he was able to accept her, even though she had considered herself "damaged goods" for so long. She fell asleep there on his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart and feeling for the first time in a long time that she was just exactly where she belonged.


	6. Chapter 6

**Quick A/N: First -thank you for the reads and reviews. I love the feedback, and I value what you have to say, so please keep it coming! Second - this chapter gets a little racier as our two love birds get closer. In other words - warning: sexual content ahead! I know that isn't everyone's cup of tea, though, so I've kind of separated that part to make it easier to identify and skip over if you'd rather not go there. Look for the section where the line breaks are - they indicate the beginning and ending of the harder stuff. It was important to me that we have at least one more chapter with Dacey being happy and in love before things start to hit the fan, so this one is all them. Enjoy it while it lasts! Last thing - I don't own the song that Lacey's singing at the end - the rights for that belong to Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac). See you at the end!**

Lacey fell for Danny quickly and deeply after their first date. She had been so moved by the compassionate way that he treated her after she revealed the truth about her past with Archie, and her feelings for him grew daily. For his part, Danny had been smitten with her from the very beginning. The couple continued spending their days with each other when their schedules allowed, and they often spent their evenings in each other's arms as well. Danny, true to his word, did not push Lacey for more intimacy than she was comfortable with. This allowed him to learn more about himself as he got to know her on a deeper level as well. He had never experienced true intimacy with someone, and he learned quickly with Lacey that there was a difference between that and sex. Although he'd be lying if he said that he didn't want to experience Lacey fully, he was content to just hold her and be in her presence for now.

Danny had dismissed the women he dealt with on a casual basis when Lacey came into his life. Even though at that point they hadn't even been dating, something about Lacey made him no longer interested in being with other women. Jo had been the last of his dismissals, and she had been the hardest for him. Jo knew all of Danny's deep dark secrets, all of the things he hoped Lacey never had to find out about him. Jo was also severely addicted to controlled substances, and he hoped that she was getting the help she so desperately needed in the rehab center. Danny had helped her parents pay for Jo's treatment, but hadn't heard from Kyle about the status of her progress. It had been nearly two months since she had been checked in to therapy, and Danny thought that she would be preparing for the transition to outpatient care soon. He hoped that she found a way to stay on the wagon this time around.

Danny looked down at the beautiful woman sleeping soundly in his arms. He and Lacey had spent yet another morning together. She had watched him paint while sipping on hot chocolate and enjoying the view of the sun rising over the city. Danny had never really had an appreciation for sunrises before, preferring to sleep in rather than rise so early just to watch something that happened every single day. Still, it was different with Lacey. Lacey made him look at everything differently. Even now, as they snuggled together on his sofa, he couldn't think of any place he would rather be.

Lacey had completely fallen for Danny. She knew it, and surprisingly enough, she wasn't the least bit afraid of it or of him. "_He's my person_," she thought to herself, "_the one person in the whole world that was made just for me_."

She guessed this was why she was no longer afraid of taking the next step in their relationship. She loved Danny, and although she hadn't quite found the words to tell him that, she hoped that he knew. She wanted to _show_ him though – she wanted him to feel the physical expression of her love for him. Mostly, though, she wanted him to know that he had her, all of her, without reservation.

It happened unexpectedly, just like their romance itself. They had been spending time together one lazy Sunday afternoon in his studio. He had arranged an area that he set aside just for the two of them to work together, having fun or blowing off steam, or whatever it was that they needed at the time. He called it his "abstract place" because really all he did here was throw paint randomly at the walls until he worked out his frustration and then it was done. He had invited Lacey to share the space with him after he saw how frustrated she was becoming about school. The semester was drawing to a close, and she had won the graduate assistantship for the following year after successfully presenting and defending her thesis on him. He had never asked to read it, and she had never offered, not wanting it to create awkwardness between them. Danny was curious about what she had written, but opted to respect her privacy enough to leave it alone. She should have been happy about school, but the mounting pressure was becoming too much for her and she needed some way to release. Enter: Danny and the "abstract space".

She changed out of her school clothes and into a comfortable pair of yoga pants and a tank, piling her long hair on top of her head in a messy bun. She walked barefoot over to the space that Danny had allocated for the two of them and waited for him to tell her what to do.

"Why do you look so nervous, babe?" he asked, kissing the side of her head.

"Well," she said smartly, "it isn't every day that I get to create art with an actual famous artist… you're a little intimidating."

"I'm only semi-famous," Danny replied, "and don't worry – there is no right or wrong way to do this. Just grab the paint balls and throw them at the canvas just… like… this…" He demonstrated what he wanted her to do, lobbing the viscous little balls of paint at the wall. There was an explosion of color accompanied by a satisfying splat when the ball landed, and Danny watched as Lacey's eyes lit up.

"Ready to try?" he asked her, and she nodded her head excitedly before grabbing a few balls in different colors and tossing them at the wall. She was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed the release. She could definitely understand why Danny chose this as his relaxation activity.

They spent the next hour laughing and enjoying each other as they got paint on the wall, the floors, and each other.

Lacey, feeling just a bit mischievous, snuck up behind Danny and cracked one of the balls on his back. "Oops," she said with feigned innocence, "looks like you're going to have to lose the shirt, Mr. Desai."

Danny laughed and said, "That's fine, Miss Porter. But you should know, you shouldn't start games like this with me unless you're prepared to play to win."

With that, he shrugged off his shirt and Lacey, momentarily distracted by the sight of him walking toward her, failed to notice he was carrying two balls in his hands. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed his hands up and down her back before reaching lower. Instead of cupping her behind as she had expected, though, he popped the balls he had been holding – one on her right hip and one on her left cheek.

"Lose 'em" he said, smiling at her smugly.

Lacey stripped off her yoga pants, looking him straight in the eyes, and said, "That's it, Desai, this means war!"

With those simple words the two began a fun new game wherein the object was to cover as much of the other with paint. Their wall canvas long forgotten, the pummeled each other with balls until they were both sopping wet.

* * *

Danny slipped on Lacey's discarded pants and fell to the ground. He let out a loud "Ouch!" and Lacey immediately went to check on him, her evasion tactics completely forgotten. As she leaned down to look at him and make sure he was alright, Danny pulled her in and planted a long, lingering kiss on her lips. From there, instincts took over. She sat down on top of him, her legs straddling his bare torso as she continued kissing him harder. She relished in the feel of his body beneath her, her skin on his. Somewhere in the back of her mind she decided that this was it, that she was ready.

She reached down between them and began unbuttoning his jeans, longing to feel more of him, more of his skin touching her. Danny broke their kiss momentarily, looking into her eyes and searching for any reservation there.

"It's okay, Danny," she whispered to him, "I'm ready."

"Are you sure? We don't have…" she cut off his questioning with another kiss as she worked to get his pants the rest of the way off. They became a tangle of limbs and lips then, and both freed themselves and each other of their remaining clothing. She was on top of him again, and he lay back on the hard floor, studying her silhouette above him. She rubbed herself against him and he could feel her growing wetness. He growled, feeling his own arousal throb with need against her hot sex. He wanted her – now – but he was waiting on her to make the first move.

She looked him in the eyes before raising herself up off him just enough to position him at her entrance. She rubbed his head against her swollen clit and he hissed with pleasure. Then she pushed the tip inside of her, her waiting body aching with its own need.

Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, she sank down onto him until she was full to the hilt. She closed her eyes, allowing her body to adjust to the fullness and enjoying the heady mixture of pain and pleasure that she was experiencing. After a moment she began to rotate her hips slowly, rocking back and forth on top of him. Danny watched her from below, completely transfixed with the goddess above him. He reached down between them, using his thumb to gently stroke her clit as she rode him. She let out a gasp at the added sensation, and began bucking her hips faster at his touch. Her pace sped up as she bounced up and down on top of him, his hips thrusting upward to meet her every time she came down. Soon she felt the tightening in her stomach and knew that her climax was only moments away. She leaned down to kiss him, biting his lip as she went over the edge and breaking the skin.

Her tongue slid quickly over the cut she'd given him, tasting the saltiness of his blood. He rolled onto his side, effectively changing their positions without breaking contact with her. He lay her down gently on her back before he went back to stroking inside of her. Danny had never felt such pleasure before. "This is what I've been waiting my whole life for," he thought as he looked at her lovely face, her hair messily splayed around her. He felt her muscles begin to tighten around him as she prepared to give him another orgasm. Her face looked so beautiful as she rode through the first one that he hadn't been able to resist giving her another before allowing himself to feel release. As she writhed beneath him, moaning his name and begging for more, harder, right there… he could feel his own endurance waning. She began rocking underneath him, biting into his lip again as she rode through her second climax of the night. The pain of her bite was enough to send him over the edge and he came hard, filling her completely.

* * *

They made love several more times that night, each time just as amazing as the first. When they finally tired it was near dawn again. He wrapped his arms around her, and snuggled into her hair, feeling himself beginning to drift off to sleep. He heard her saying something to him as he nodded off, and it wasn't until he had almost completely succumbed that he realized she was singing to him. He listened to her rich, beautiful voice as she serenaded him, thinking to himself, "_God I love her_," as he drifted off into oblivion.

_And I feel that when I'm with you,  
It's alright, I know it's right  
To you I'll give the world  
To you I'll never be cold  
Cause I feel that when I'm with you  
It's alright, I know it's right  
And the songbirds are singing  
Like they know the score  
And I love you, I love you, I love you,  
Like never before_


	7. Chapter 7

It was afternoon before Lacey woke up. She squinted her eyes in the waning sunlight and sat up, attempting to locate her phone. She brought her hands up in front of her face, laughing as she noticed the myriad of paint flecks on her skin. She looked down at the canvas where she and Danny had spent the night, remembering. Hand and body prints swirled beneath them in a rainbow of colors that covered him as well. She gazed at Danny's sleeping form, blissfully aware that she was the reason for the look of peace and contentment on his face.

Slowly, so as not to wake him, she untangled herself from his arms and got up from where she'd been sitting. She moved to find her bag, fishing her camera from inside. It was an old Nikon her father had given her when she was in high school. It had been a gift for her 15th birthday, and she'd loved it. Lacey had once been a promising amateur photographer. She had even earned publication of her photos in several of Seattle's local magazines. Her keen eye for seeing beauty and balance in the most mundane things allowed her to turn everyday objects and scenes into works of art. She'd set her camera down some time ago, though, no longer able to see the beauty in things as her depression over Archie set in.

But something about being with Danny inspired her to pick up the camera again. She wasn't sure if it was his artistic energy rubbing off on her, or the happy feelings that he had awakened within her. She pondered this briefly as she adjusted her focus, snapping several shots of him in rapid succession. He woke to the fluttering sound of her shutter as she moved in closer to him for a better angle. Smiling, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Good morning, you," he yawned, nuzzling her hair.

"Pfft," she laughed, turning over to look at him, "try again sleepy head. It's almost time for dinner."

Danny closed his eyes, licking his lips suggestively. "Well, in that case, I already know what I want."

Lacey laughed again, before responding, "No sir, not tonight. I've got two finals tomorrow, and I need a good night's rest thankyouverymuch!"

Danny pretended to pout, but decided he would be okay, as long as she stayed the night.

"We'll just have a really relaxing night," he coaxed, "we can order in and I'll paint while you study. I promise I won't bother you at all."

Lacey hesitated at first, but eventually she agreed, not wanting to leave him any more than he wanted to let her go. He called in an order for the two of them at Lacey's favorite restaurant, a little Italian eatery a few blocks away from the studio. Once he'd paid for the food and gotten an ETA for the delivery, he went to find Lacey.

* * *

He found her in the shower, scrubbing away the paint smattered on her skin with a loofah she produced, presumably from nowhere. He guessed it must have come from her overnight bag. It made him smile to see how many of the small, everyday items she'd begun leaving at his place. First it had been a t-shirt and shorts, then had come her body wash, and just now he looked over to see her toothbrush sitting in the little cup next to his. He wondered how long it would take before she decided she herself should take up residence here.

Turning his attention back to the shower, he noticed that she was looking at him with a playful smile on her face. He gazed across her lithe frame, noting with appreciation the way the soapy bubbles clung to her wet skin. She caught his eye again, pointing a finger at him before bringing it back to herself, beckoning him to come join her.

"What if I just want to watch?" he asked, pretending that he didn't already have every intention of joining her.

"But I need help," she said to him seductively, "I'm having a hard time reaching a few spots."

It was all the convincing that Danny needed. He quickly shrugged off the jeans he'd slipped into walking around the studio and stepped into the warm water with her. He reached for Lacey, wanting to hold her close. She came in to him long enough to give him a light kiss before turning around again to add more soap to her loofah. She faced him again, and began cleaning the paint off him, rubbing delicate circles on his torso. The rough texture of the sponge coupled with the airy softness of her fingertips grazing his skin made him want her again. She seemed to be enjoying caring for him, though, so instead of rushing to take her, he just held still and let her work.

"You're a very dirty boy, Mr. Desai," she said as she finished cleaning the paint from his body. She then went to grab his shampoo, squirting a healthy dollop into her palm before rubbing it into his hair. Lacey's nimble fingers massaged his scalp as she carefully washed his tresses, taking care to remove as much paint as possible.

"_This may be the sexiest thing a woman has ever done for me_," Danny thought to himself. She turned him around, instructing him to lean his head back so that she could rinse the lather from his head. Once he felt that she was finished he leaned down to kiss her, filling the kiss with as much appreciation and adoration as he could. She responded immediately, instinctively understanding what he was trying to convey to her.

They made love against the shower wall. It was quick, but satisfying, serving to satiate both of them for the time being. Soon, their food arrived, and they ate together, talking about everything and nothing and just enjoying each other's company. Danny helped her review her notes for her tests the next day, preferring to continue talking to her rather than lose himself in the solitude of painting. Creating his art had given him solace when he was alone, but now that he was no longer by himself, Danny decided that he would rather spend time with her. "_Besides_," he reasoned, "_I'll have all day tomorrow to paint and miss her. Tonight she's here and I want to enjoy every minute of it_."

They stayed up, talking and laughing and (occasionally) studying until well after midnight. Finally, around 2:00 am, Lacey announced that she was ready for bed. Danny led her to his bedroom and they cuddled up at the very center of his king-sized platform bed, wrapping up in each other as they blissfully went to sleep.

The next morning Danny woke early, making breakfast for the two of them before Lacey set out for her day. "_I could get used to this_," he thought as he looked at her smiling face looking back at him over their shared plate of eggs and bacon. "_I could wake up next to this woman every day for the rest of my life and be just fine with it… wow_." Danny realized that Lacey was it for him, that she completely and totally owned him and that he was okay with that – happy about it even.

"This is great, babe," she told him, swallowing her last bite of food, "but I have _got_ to head to class."

Danny momentarily considered ways to keep her there a little longer, but deciding to let the selfish part of him take a back seat for the time being, he just sighed before standing up to walk her to the door. He grabbed her messenger bag off the sofa while she pulled on her coat and scarf, and handed it to her as they got on the lift. When they reached the bottom she walked to the door, turning back just long enough to catch his eye. She smiled at him and pulled him in for a hug and sweet kiss, saying goodbye for now, and promising to be "home" in time for dinner before breezing out the door onto the snowy sidewalk.

* * *

Jo stood over to the side, smoking a cigarette and watching from the shadows as Danny kissed the pretty bimbo leaving his studio. "_Hmmm_," she thought wryly, "_so she's the new Flavor of the Week, huh? You always were partial to chocolate, Danny_." It sickened her to see how happy Lacey looked as she walked away from the loft, heading to wherever it was that pretty bimbos go at 9:00 am. "That won't last long," she said aloud as she flicked her cigarette butt down and ground it into the snow. She walked gingerly toward Danny's door, not bothering to buzz before letting herself inside. Avoiding the lift, Jo drifted up the stairs, intentionally wanting to observe Danny before she spoke with him. She found him in his kitchen cleaning up the remains of what appeared to be breakfast. "_She cooks, too, Danny? Looks like you picked a good one this time around_."

Jo stood there for a moment before clearing her throat, finally catching his attention. "Hey there, stud – miss me?" she joked as she sauntered over to the counter where he was. Danny had a look on his face that was a mixture between shock and anger when he saw her. He immediately masked it though, smoothing his face into a look of cool indifference.

"Jo – what are you doing here? I thought you were in rehab."

"I was," she replied, "it didn't agree with me too well, though, so they kicked me out. Something about 'irreconcilable differences' and 'pressing charges'… not exactly sure what their problem was, but who cares? I'm back baby!"

She expected that Danny would be happy she was here, especially since it had been so long since they'd seen one another. She was sure that he had been passing the time with one or two (_or a few_, she thought idly) pretty little pieces of ass like the one she'd just seen leave, but she knew Danny well enough to know that he'd want her again now that she was back. She and Danny had the kind of chemistry that couldn't be re-created with just anyone. It was painful and volatile and often resulted in one or both of them exploding in the other's face. But it also made for some _amazing_ sex. She knew none of the other women he'd been with in her absence could do what she did for him. Jo had allowed Danny to have his way with her body, completely free of inhibition, because she loved him. She was in love with him, and although she knew that he wasn't really capable of reciprocating her love at the same level, she knew that deep down in there, somewhere, Danny did care about her. Maybe it wasn't the storybook kind of love, but it was enough for her. She'd been through enough in her life to know that the storybook kind of love didn't actually exist anyway.

Put off by his quietness, Jo decided he needed more convincing to warm up to her again. She hopped up on the counter, spreading her legs wide for him before asking coyly, "Did you miss me?"

Danny looked down and, seeing that she hadn't bothered with panties (or shaving) before coming to see him, pressed her thighs back together. He took a deep breath and counted to ten in his head, wracking his brain for some sort of response to her. He knew Jo well enough to know that he had to handle her with kid gloves, or else he would never get rid of her.

"Yeah of course I missed you, Jo" he said (lie number one). "I'm so glad to see that you're out of rehab and doing better." (Lie number two)

"Yeah," she shrugged, sticking a piece of gum in her mouth and sucking on the tip of her finger in a manner that he imagined was supposed to be sexy to him. "I missed you, too. So I decided to come back home to see you. Now, are you going to welcome me back or what?"

She reached for his pants, attempting to undo them, but Danny grabbed her wrist, locking it in place and effectively stopping her. Jo, miffed at this, looked at him. "What's wrong, Danny baby? Don't tell me the cheerleader wore you out too much. She looked pretty energetic this morning, but I thought you had more stamina than that."

"_Shit_," he thought, "_she saw Lacey this morning_… _Maybe it's time to just be honest with her_."

"Jo," he started, eyeing her warily, "she's not a cheerleader, first off, so don't talk about her like that."

"Geez Danny, never realized you were so touchy about your conquests. You never cared before what I called them," Jo interrupted, eyeing him back. She could tell something was different about Danny and she didn't like it one bit.

"As I was saying," he continued, "she isn't a cheerleader, a bimbo, a piece of ass, or whatever else you think up to call her. Actually, I would prefer it if you didn't talk about her at all."

"Fine, fine," Jo sighed, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "I won't talk about your precious… chocolate wonder woman any more. It's not like it matters anyway – we both know she'll be gone in a day or two. They never last long, especially now that I'm back around. Tell you what, though. She is pretty hot – maybe we can share her before you let her go."

She leaned up to kiss him, unsteady on her feet (_She's drunk already_, he thought disgustedly), and he once again avoided her advances. He pushed his hands between them, stepping back enough to have her at arm's length. He was livid that she would imply something so… tasteless and gross about Lacey. Okay, maybe it wasn't as if he'd never done it before, but not with _his_ Lacey. He needed to put a stop to this right now.

"There isn't going to be any more us, Jo," he told her. "You and I, we aren't doing this anymore."

Jo smirked at him, rolling her eyes. "Please, Danny – you're pushing me to the side because of her? What's so special about her anyway?"

"It isn't about her," Danny responded (lie number three), "I just don't want to do this anymore. What we have is sick and co-dependent, and I need it to stop. We're both fucked up enough on our own without fucking each other up every chance we get. I want us to move on and figure out how to find some kind of peace. I want you to get better – I want to be better. We can't do that if we continue this parasitic attachment to each other." He hoped that he had done a good enough job deflecting her attention away from Lacey and onto him. The last thing he wanted was for Jo to latch onto Lacey as her next victim.

Jo, however, was seething at his rejection. "Fucked up, Danny? You wanna talk about fucked up? How about watching my best friend fucking _murder_ his aunt in front of me at the ripe old age of eleven? How about suffering through the isolation of my teenage years on my own because, after he traumatized me, my so-called best friend couldn't even be there for me? I fucking waited for you for _eight years_, worried about you while my life was going to shit, and _this_ is what I get for it?"

Jo's rage was palpable, but Danny took it because he knew he deserved it. He let her use him as her punching bag, just like he had so many times before, because he knew that he owed it to her. But this time, Jo's vengeance was at an all time high. He wasn't sure what caused the excessive display of emotion, but he stood there, relaxed and aloof, letting her rage rain down on him. He would let her tire herself out, and, once she was done he would send her away. He felt bad for what he had done to her, but he couldn't allow her to continue to manipulate him because of it.

His internal resolve to get rid of her hadn't accounted for what came out of her mouth next, though.

"Danny! Danny, are you even fucking listening to me? You can't throw me away, I will not be cast aside this time. This isn't just about me anymore – we have someone else to think of. You will take care of us – of both of us!"

Her words didn't quite register with him right away. It wasn't until he saw her rubbing her belly underneath her top that he understood what she meant. Jo was telling him that she was pregnant… that they were having a child.

Danny's mind immediately switched to shut down mode. Jo smiled her demented smile at him, giving him a look that said, "_checkmate_". He mustered up a small smile back to her and hugged her tentatively, doing his best to act like he was happy about her news. Inside he was reeling, emotions shifting too quickly for him to register what any of them meant. He walked Jo to the door, telling her he needed some time to process the news. He told her he would be in touch with her soon, but asked her to leave him alone for a few days to get his mind around everything that she'd told him. She had dropped a lot on him at once – he needed time to come to terms with everything. Surprisingly she agreed, telling him that she would touch bases with him in a few days – they could go shopping for some things for the nursery.

Danny returned to the studio, sinking down onto his sofa and staring out at the water. He looked at the coffee table and saw a note that Lacey had written before she left that morning. He read over the note, and smiled as he thought of her writing it to him. It wasn't some large declaration or long drawn out speech, it was just a few quick words scrawled out on a piece of paper she'd ripped from her notebook.

_I'll be thinking of you today – can't wait to come home to you. All my love, Lace_.

As he lay down on the couch, note in hand, waiting for Lacey's return, he could swear he actually heard his heart breaking inside his chest.


	8. Chapter 8

Lacey returned to the loft to find Danny asleep on the couch. She leaned down to kiss him, effectively startling him as he woke up.

"Hey baby," she whispered, "I'm back."

He smiled, stretching his arms out to make room for her next to him. "Hello beautiful," he said as she settled in beside him, "how was your day?"

Lacey then began to tell him about her day, starting with her tests and ending with her finally getting to see the office space she would be using next semester in her new position as TA.

"Is it weird that I'm excited about a little cubby? I mean, really, it's just a small section of office that I'll be sharing with the other TAs in the department, but I have my own desk. They're even having me a nameplate made for the door – I'm finally legit babe!" She continued talking excitedly about her day, but she couldn't help but notice Danny's subdued mood tonight.

"Hey," she said, kissing him lightly, "What's wrong? Did something happen while I was gone?"

"_You have no idea_," he thought to himself, but to her he only gave a small smile before responding, "No baby, nothing happened. I'm just feeling a little tired – nothing to worry about."

"_Unless_ _the end of my whole world is something you would consider important_," he added silently in his head.

Lacey nodded her head in understanding. "We have had a pretty eventful weekend," she said, smiling at him conspiratorially. "How about you rest here on the couch and I'll go find something to make for dinner? We can relax and listen to music, or maybe watch a little TV if you want. We'll have a lazy night tonight."

Danny stared after her as she left the room, heading to the kitchen to begin preparing their food. His heart felt like it was in a vice grip as he thought of how she would react once he told her the news about Jo. She would leave him, he knew it. It wouldn't matter that he hadn't been with anyone else but her since before their first date – she wouldn't want to deal with the pressure and drama of him and Jo having a child together. And truthfully, he couldn't blame her. No one would want to deal with that, no matter how much she might love him.

He thought about their perfect weekend, about how she had finally opened up to him, giving herself to him fully. He thought of how she looked when she told him about Archie, and how cold and distant she got when she remembered all the ways he had abused her trust and love. Danny never wanted her to look at him the way she did Archie – as someone who had taken advantage of her trust.

He walked slowly into the kitchen, rehearsing what he would say to her in his mind and trying to build up enough courage to follow through. Then he saw her standing at the counter and he lost all resolve. He stood transfixed, watching as she worked on chopping the vegetables in front of her. She was making stir-fry for him – his favorite dish of hers. He studied her, taking time to appreciate the way the apron she had on hugged her soft curves, the way her thick wavy mane cascaded down her back, the cute little dimple that appeared when she knitted her eyebrows together in concentration. She looked completely engrossed in her task and the faces she made reminded him of those same expressions that came over her as they made love. He imagined his hands running through her hair (_God, he loved her hair_), grabbing a fistful and pulling on it as he took her bent over the very kitchen counter she was standing at now.

Breaking from his reverie, he walked over to her and she smiled at him. Her inquisitive eyes seemed to sense that he was keeping something from her, but she didn't push.

"I know something is on your mind, Danny," she said casually as she dropped the vegetables into the wok, adding in her seasonings. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it right now – we can talk about it whenever you're ready."

She was giving him a reprieve for the night, and although she didn't know what was the matter, he was glad that he didn't have to tell her tonight. "_I'll tell her soon_," he resolved, "_as soon as I figure out what to do about it_."

The next couple of weeks passed relatively smoothly. There were no incidents, no more crazy run-ins with Jo. He had texted her a few days after the first visit, telling her that he still needed time to come to terms with everything and asking if she needed anything. When she responded that the only thing she needed was him, he had simply replied, "I'll check in on you again in a few days."

But just because Jo hadn't made herself known to Danny in two weeks didn't mean that she hadn't been around. She'd gone to her spot across from his loft several times, watching as the pretty bimbo she'd seen that first day came and went. It angered her to see how the girl – _Lacey_, she'd learned – walked in and out of the studio as though she owned the place. She seemed to spend every day (_and night_, Jo thought sardonically) there. It was almost as if she and Danny were in an actual relationship… but Jo knew that couldn't be the case. "_Danny Desai doesn't do relationships_," Jo thought. She knew this all too well, as she'd tried unsuccessfully for the years since Danny's release to convince him to give them a real chance.

"_Maybe Lacey doesn't know that about Danny, though_," Jo mumbled to herself, lighting another cigarette as she watched the girl leave yet again this morning. "_Maybe I should tell her… it's only fair, right_?"

* * *

"_Hey good girl, with your head in the clouds,  
I bet you I can tell you what you're thinkin' about_"

Jo sang the song to herself as she made her way to the Columbia campus. She'd followed Lacey long enough the day before to figure out where the girl had been running off to every day when she left Danny. "_Graduate school of psychology_," Jo thought to herself as she'd watched Lacey enter the building yesterday, "_not bad – maybe you're not a bimbo after all._" She'd decided to give Danny one more night with Lacey before getting rid of the girl once and for all. "_She is incredibly hot, after all_," Jo'd reasoned with herself.

"_Hey good girl, you got a heart of gold  
you want a white wedding and a hand you can hold  
just like you should girl, like every good girl does,  
want a fairy tale ending, somebody to love_…"

Jo hit the campus just after Lacey, trailing her from a distance. She didn't want Lacey to see her until she was absolutely ready to face the other girl down. Jo knew Danny would be furious with her when he figured out what she'd done, but she tried not to worry about that now. "_I deserve some consideration, too_," she whined internally, "_I'm the one that's been there this whole time. I'm the one carrying this fucking baby for him. I'm the one who hasn't had more than a line or two of blow in the last three months because of the little parasite inside of me. I deserve this_."

She found the building she was looking for, and straightened her back as she walked in. "_Lacey will thank me for this later_," she thought, "_after all, he won't ever love her, either_."

"_But he's really good at lying, yeah he'll leave you in the dust,  
cause when he says forever well, it don't mean much…  
Hey good girl, so good for him  
better back away honey, you don't know where he's been_"

Jo sauntered into the tiny office she'd seen Lacey disappear into a few minutes earlier. She hesitated at the door for a few minutes, checking to make sure that Lacey was alone before stepping inside and closing the door behind her. Lacey looked up from what she was doing, startled at the unexpected intrusion. She immediately recognized Jo, but, confused about why the girl was there in her office, Lacey decided it was probably best to feign ignorance for the moment.

"Yes?" Lacey started, "Can I help you with something?"

"Cut the crap," Jo said, clearly irritated, "I know you know who I am, _Lacey_."

The way she said her name made Lacey's skin crawl, but she kept her discomfort to herself, refusing to let the other woman think that she'd rattled her.

"Sure, I know who you are Jo," she said, "But I don't know why you're here – in my office. Did you need something?"

Jo sneered at the other girl, put off by her obvious disdain for Jo, as well as her general classiness. "_What does he see in her anyway_?" Jo wondered, "_She doesn't look fun at all_."

Aloud she said, "I just thought it was time that you and I had a talk about Danny."

Lacey immediately stiffened at the mention of Danny, narrowing her eyes at the other girl. "Why do you want to talk to me about Danny?" she asked warily.

Jo snickered, knowing by Lacey's reaction that she really had no idea what kind of man Danny was. "_Aww… she's in love with him_," Jo realized. That made what she was about to do all the more fun.

"Because I need you to understand something about me and Danny," Jo said to her. "I need you to understand that Danny and I are a forever kind of thing. I know that you two have been playing house for the last couple of months while I've been… away… but I'm back now."

Lacey stared at Jo in complete disbelief as she continued, "Anyway, I don't really care that you've been fucking him while I was gone. I understand he has his needs, and you're just as good as anyone else to fulfill them for awhile. But the thing is, I'm afraid you might be getting the wrong idea about your relationship with him."

Lacey was seething, but had thus far managed to keep her anger from bubbling over. "And what idea might that be?" she asked Jo through gritted teeth.

"That you're in love with each other, silly," Jo said, flashing Lacey a venomous smile. "You may be in love with him, but you're delusional if you think that he loves you."

With that, Lacey's anger came to a head. "And what exactly do you know about love, Jo? You're a used up addict with no sense of reality or self. How dare you walk in here and tell me that the man I love doesn't want me. I think you're projecting – I think you're angry because what you really mean is he doesn't want you. He doesn't love you and you can't stand the fact that he could possibly be able to give someone something that he won't give to you."

Anger flashed across Jo's face, but she laughed instead of lashing out in response. "You think that four or five months of hanging out with Danny means you know him and what he wants, Lacey? Let me tell you something – I've been the person there for him for the last 20 years. I've met all of his needs in that time, and he's met mine. He will continue to do that for the next 20 years as well."

"He won't," Lacey said defiantly, "face it Jo, he doesn't want you anymore. I doubt that he ever really did. But either way it doesn't matter now because he's mine. You need to back off and figure out how to live your own life. You can go and be happy or miserable – I really don't care. Just make sure you do it away from me and Danny."

Jo laughed at Lacey's naiveté, but let her continue.

"I make him happy, Jo, I meet his needs. You're just made because I give him something that you never could – a chance at normalcy and happiness. All you are to him is baggage." Lacey looked at the other girl with disgust. She felt her hands begin to shake with rage, but she kept her face cool and composed.

"You give him something I never could, huh Lacey? That's funny – I was thinking the same thing about you… that what I'm about to give him you'll never be able to, no matter how hard you try."

Lacey rolled her eyes at Jo's pathetic attempt to best her. "And what might that be, Jo? Syphilis?"

"Oh you think that's cute, Lacey?" Jo spat. "How about his firstborn child?"

Jo sat back in satisfaction as she stared at Lacey, who looked stricken. "That's right, Lacey – I'm pregnant, and it's Danny's. How's that for giving him something that you can't?"

The emotions on Lacey's face flitted between shock, hurt, anger, and disbelief. She sat there quietly, allowing Jo's words to sink in. "_This can not be happening_," she thought to herself. "_Is this why he's been so moody the last couple of weeks – is this what he's been hiding from me_?"

"Aww, what's the matter Lacey?" Jo taunted. "Your precious Danny didn't tell you about our little surprise?"

Composing herself, Lacey responded evenly, "Of course he told me, Jo. We don't keep secrets from one another. I just can't believe you'd be so classless to come to my school, to my place of work, to dredge up personal shit."

The lie fell smoothly off her tips, but even as she said it Lacey felt the bile rising from the pit of her stomach threatening to choke her.

"Anyway, I'm done talking to you. I've got work to do and you need to leave. The next time you crash into my office I'll have you removed for trespassing and harassment. Close the door on your way out."

"Fine Lacey, I'll leave for now," Jo said as she stood up, edging toward the door, "tell Danny I'll give him a call later on this evening. We still need to decide on a theme for the nursery."

With that, Jo turned and left, leaving Lacey in a state of shock behind her. "_Don't fuck with me, Lacey_," she thought as she exited the building and headed back to the subway terminal, "_I've been playing this game a lot longer than you have, and I never lose_."

"_Hey good girl, get out while you can  
I know you think you got a good man_…"

* * *

**Whew! That was intense to write - I hope you enjoyed reading it! Trust me, it only gets better from here!**

**The song Jo is singing in her delusional little head does not belong to me - it's called "Good Girl" and it's from Carrie Underwood. Crazy how fitting it is, huh?**

**Anyway, thanks for everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed - I love that you guys love my story so much! :) Please keep the feedback coming - and don't count Lacey out just yet - she isn't going out just because Jo hurt her feelings. **

**Also, be on the lookout for a Dacey one-shot that I'm working on. It's a song-fic (that seems to be a recurring theme for me - the lyrics of sad love songs really help me get to where I need to be to write convincing angst), but it is unrelated to this story. Still, I hope that you like it just the same!**

**Have a great day - KL**


	9. Chapter 9

Lacey didn't return to the studio that evening. Instead, she went back to her apartment. She texted Danny, telling him that she wasn't feeling well and that she wanted to be alone for awhile. He questioned it of course, but didn't push her too hard. For that much at least, she was grateful.

Lacey felt as though someone had knocked the wind out of her, and she had no idea what to do, what to think, or how to feel. She couldn't talk to anyone about it – Vanessa and Phoebe wouldn't understand. They'd warned her that Danny would hurt her when she told them that they were seeing one another. She'd brushed off their concerns, falling head over heels for him without a thought or care in the world. It wasn't that she thought they wouldn't be there for her – they were her best friends, after all. But Lacey wasn't in the mood to hear the inevitable "Itoldyouso" from them - at least not tonight.

She was humiliated, thinking of her conversation with Jo earlier that day. How foolish she had been, trusting Danny implicitly. It wasn't as if she didn't know his history before she got involved with him. He never fell in love with anyone – there was a reason people called him a sociopath. The women before her could easily attest to his general indifference – hell, even Jo acknowledged that whatever their twisted dynamic was, it wasn't love. Lacey guessed she just thought she would be different. Clearly she was wrong about that.

Lacey cried herself to sleep that night, listening to sad love songs and wallowing in her sorrow. When she woke the next morning with the sun beaming in her eyes, she still felt small and weak. All she wanted to do was disappear.

Against her better judgment, Lacey dragged herself out of bed and into the shower. She let the cold water shock her system, trying to rouse herself from the depressed stupor she seemed to be in. She needed to see him, needed to have him look her in the eye and tell her that what Jo said was true. He owed her that much at least. She went through the motions of brushing her teeth and getting dressed, not even glancing at herself in the mirror and she grabbed her keys and coat and headed for the subway.

* * *

Danny was relieved to walk into the loft and see her there, sitting in a chair facing the water. He'd been going out of his mind all night trying to figure out what was wrong with her, and missing her in her absence. He still didn't know where she'd been all night or why she'd chosen to stay away, but he decided none of that mattered any more. He was just relieved she came back.

"Hey you," he said as he walked toward her. She sat stock still, not moving, not saying a word to him. Concerned, Danny knelt in front of her, turning her chin to make her look at him. He saw the red rimming her eyes and the puffiness of her nose and knew that she'd been crying. He moved to wrap his arms around her, but she pushed him away. Confused, Danny backed away, giving her space. His eyebrows knit together with worry – what happened to her last night?

They stayed like that for awhile – Lacey staring silently out at the boats in the harbor and Danny studying her profile, searching his mind for something to do or say to snap her out of it. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, she opened her mouth to speak.

"So, when is the baby due?"

One small sentence said in an eerie monotone. She didn't even turn her head to look at him as she said it, but Danny felt his heart drop to the floor. He considered his options at this point and wondered how she knew. He hadn't told anyone about Jo – not even Rico (his publicist and, incidentally, his best friend). He'd done everything he could to keep it under wraps until he was ready to tell Lacey – how could she know already? Then it dawned on him – _Jo_.

"Lace," he started, somewhat flustered and at a loss for words.

"When were you planning on telling me, Danny?" she continued, this time letting more of the anger show through. Okay, she was angry with him. He could deal with angry Lacey – he was used to dealing with angry women. It was the strange, non-feeling Lacey that had him worried.

"Or were you not going to tell me at all? Were you just going to let me continue walking around making a fool of myself while you and Jo sit in the corner picking out baby names?"

"Lace," he tried again, but now that she was talking it seemed that there was no stopping her.

"No Danny, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to be manipulated and pacified. How could you stand there and let me tell you that I love you – let me make love to you – and all the time you were lying to me? Why would you do that to me Danny?"

It pained him to hear the hurt in her voice – each word she spoke felt like a sharp knife slicing away at what they'd had until there was nothing left. "_Maybe I'm just not meant to be happy_," he thought as he looked at her beautiful, angry face. She continued to deliver her blows and he continued to take them, soaking up everything she said and responding with nothing, just letting her get it all out.

Finally came the worst part – "Is it because of what I told you about Archie? Is it because I wanted to take things slowly? Was I not enough, Danny?" Her anger was beginning to dissipate and he could now see the pain that lay beneath. He saw it then, all of her insecurities out in the open. She felt raw and exposed and alone – he needed to fix this.

"No, Lacey – God no! This has nothing to do with you or us. I stopped sleeping with Jo and anyone else long before us. I haven't had eyes for anyone but you since we met at my show, and I haven't slept with anyone else since before our first date."

He looked in her eyes, searching desperately for any sign of trust there, anything that might make him think there was a chance she believed him.

"I know what I was in the past – I was a dick to a lot of women. I don't deny or make excuses for any of that… but I haven't ever and won't ever do that to you. The last time that I was with Jo was nearly four months ago – before we started dating, before we did anything. I would never do anything to hurt you that way. Jo was a mistake that I was trying to fix and… it's complicated. But know that she has nothing to do with the way that I feel about you. You're everything to me, Lacey."

She looked at him, wanting to believe what he said but… "Then why did you keep it from me for so long? Why couldn't you just tell me? I know you've known for at least the last two weeks." She glared at him pointedly as she added the last part.

"Because I didn't know how to explain it and I was afraid of losing you," he told her truthfully. "I didn't think you would want me after I told you – I already come with enough baggage. I didn't think you would stay if you knew she's having my child on top of everything else."

Lacey didn't know how she felt about that. She was relieved to know that he hadn't been cheating on her, and she knew realistically she didn't have the right to be upset with him over something that happened before she was officially in the picture… but still the fact that he'd kept it from her bothered her, regardless of whether or not she understood his reasons. Finally the tears she'd fought so hard to keep at bay came spilling out, and Lacey curled herself into a ball, crying. She reached out her hand to him and he responded immediately, going to her and gathering her up in his arms. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently and climbing in beside her.

* * *

They lay like that for the rest of the afternoon, him holding her while she cried until she fell asleep. When she woke again just after sundown she turned to look at the man resting beside her. She traced the tips of her fingers over his profile, barely touching him. "_I love him so much it hurts_," she thought as she studied his face. She stretched, preparing to get out of the bed when she felt his arms tighten around her. His eyes, now open and alert, searched hers, imploring her not to leave him. He wasn't sure what he would do if she left him tonight.

Sensing his anxiety at her departure, she lay back down, returning to her previous position. She knew he needed her, just as she knew she needed him. She didn't know how they were going to deal with Jo and the baby, she didn't know how they were going to weather any of the inevitable storms that lay ahead of them. She only knew that, at that moment there wasn't anywhere else that she wanted to be. She felt the clouds gathering on the horizon, but they had survived this one… and for now that would have to be enough.

* * *

**Okay guys - I know this one was a little shorter, but they needed to get this sorted out before anything else comes their way. Thank you for hanging with me - Lacey's sticking around for now. No promises on how long that lasts though - committing to Danny does mean committing to having Jo in her life, after all.**

**Thanks for your reads and reviews - KL**


	10. Chapter 10

Lacey didn't leave Danny that night, and in the days that followed the two worked to repair their damaged relationship. After a while they were able to return to their normal selves and, for the most part, their relationship was back on track. Still, the situation with Jo had done its damage to the couple, and whether either of them realized it or not, there were cracks in their foundation.

It started out with small things. Danny would forget to text her while she was away, or she failed to introduce him to one of her colleagues they met while out to dinner. Small things that at one time wouldn't have even registered as more than a minor annoyance became fodder for knock-down drag out fights that would rage between them into the night. They always made up afterward, rarely going to bed mad after having worked out their frustrations on each other physically, but still the fighting took its toll.

Their individual stressors didn't help matters very much. The new semester started for Lacey at Columbia, and she was immersed in the world of teaching, as well as continuing her research. Danny was also working hard as his art began to garner more and more attention outside of the New York scene. That, coupled with having to work Jo into the rotation (she insisted that he accompany her to as many doctor's appointments as possible) made for limited time between Lacey and Danny. Lacey pretty much lived at the studio with him by now, but they were both so busy that it seemed like they existed in different worlds – sometimes the only time that they did actually get to spend together was in bed.

Danny knew that his relationship with Lacey was shifting, but he refused to acknowledge that they were becoming unhealthy for one another. "_This is normal_," he lied to himself, "_we're just going through a slump – all couples go through this_."

Then one day Lacey came home with news for him. He knew when she walked through the door that something was up, but he wasn't sure whether or not it was good or bad. She came up to him as he was working on a piece for his next show. This one was dark and dangerous, and Lacey wasn't sure of his mood because of it. Still, he turned to her, kissing her on the forehead as a "hello".

"So babe," she started casually, "I have some news to tell you…"

"What is it, Lace?" he asked, turning back to the task at hand.

"Well…" she hedged, "I received notice today that the university wants to publish one of my papers in an academic journal…"

Danny turned, smiling at her. "That's awesome Lacey! I'm so proud of you – are you excited? Which paper?"

"Yeah, I was pretty stoked when the dean told me this afternoon," she blushed, hesitating before she told him the next part. "The thing is, though… the paper that they want to publish… it's the one I wrote about you."

Danny looked at her, taking a few seconds to process this information. He'd never ever read the paper that she'd written on him, the project that had been the catalyst for their meeting in the beginning. He wasn't sure why she was looking so hesitant as she waited for him to respond… he guessed it was because she was nervous about what his reaction would be. Truthfully he was a little wary of having his past thrust back into the spotlight, even if it was just on the academic level. Despite his reservations, though, he was genuinely excited for her, and made sure he let those feelings show through the most.

"That's great baby – I really am proud of you. Let's go out – we need to celebrate!"

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Lacey said, looking at him skeptically. Lately it seemed as if the littlest thing set him off; she couldn't believe that he didn't seem to mind at all that she would be publishing an article about her look into some very personal and private parts of his life.

"Sure," he said, only half lying to her, "this is important to you, so it's important to me."

"Well, would you like to at least read it first? I want to make sure that you're okay with everything before I confirm that the publishing deal is a go," she said, prodding him again to really consider her words.

"I trust you, Lace," he told her, "I don't need to read it… but if it's that important to you I will – tomorrow. Tonight, we celebrate – go get dressed!"

They celebrated that night and for the first time in awhile it felt like they'd gotten their magic back. He took her out on the town, spoiling her with attention the way he had when they'd first started dating. Finally, it seemed they were back on track.

Danny finally got around to reading her paper three days later. She rushed in from her day on campus so harried that she almost didn't notice him sitting at the kitchen counter, her manuscript in front of him. She shuffled past him, dropping a quick, "hey babe" and kiss on the cheek as she made her way to the bedroom, continuing a phone conversation she'd been having since before she walked through the door.

"Get off the phone, Lace – we need to talk," Danny said to her in a subdued tone. If she'd been paying attention she would have noticed the stiffness in his demeanor, immediately alerting her that something was seriously wrong.

But she wasn't paying attention, so she simply responded to him, "Just a minute babe" before continuing her conversation.

"GET OFF THE PHONE, LACEY," he said again, this time effectively catching her attention. She quickly ended her conversation and looked at him expectantly.

"What's up, Danny? Is something wrong?" she asked, still confused as to why he was in such a sour mood.

"I read through your paper today," he began casually. "Good stuff Lace, you're a very talented psychologist…"

"Thanks?" she said, wondering suddenly when he became so passive-aggressive.

"Yeah," he went on, "it's a really great article. There's just one problem."

"And that is…?" she said, waiting for his answer.

"You can't publish it," he said flatly.

Lacey crossed her arms, already on the defensive, "And just why not? You were ecstatic about me getting published just the other day. What changed between then and now?"

"I read it," he said sarcastically, shrugging his shoulders.

"What's wrong with it, Danny? It's a good paper – maybe my best ever. What's wrong with it? Or is this even about the paper at all?" she challenged him.

He stood there silently, fuming with anger but not daring to say another word.

"Is it that you don't like being analyzed, Danny? Or is it that you can't take the truth written in black and white?"

Danny felt the darkness rising in him and he struggled internally to suppress it. "_She doesn't know what she's saying_," he told himself, "_she has no idea what the truth is_." He reasoned to himself as much as possible, trying to calm himself down.

Their argument escalated as he demanded that she refuse to publish the paper and she refused to give in to his demands without a reasonable explanation as to why. Finally, the argument reached its peak as Danny backed her into a corner, slamming his fists into the wall beside Lacey's head. Too stunned to speak or move, Lacey stood still and quiet as he told her the real reason he wanted her to change what she'd written.

"What you said about my brother – that insightful observation that you made about him? It isn't true – Tara never sexually abused Rubin, and you won't paint him that way," he said through gritted teeth.

"But you said she… I just assumed…" Lacey started, shaking a little at the vacancy in his eyes.

"You assumed wrong. I said she abused him, but I never said that she… touched him. How could you even write something like that, anyway?"

Realizing the gravity of her mistake, Lacey tried to placate Danny. "I'm sorry baby," she said meekly, trying to think of a way to get away from him. She was afraid that the next time his fists would come crashing into her instead of the sheetrock wall. "I didn't mean to… it's just that you never told me and I had to…"

"So because I never told you what she did to Rubin, you just decided on your own that it was molestation? News flash Lacey – abuse doesn't have to be sexual in order for it to be traumatizing. Not everyone has fucked up attitudes toward sex the way you do."

Lacey recoiled, feeling like he'd physically slapped her with that last comment. She understood that he was upset with her, but did he really need to throw the one thing he knew she was most sensitive about in her face that way?

He walked away from her after that, heading outside to blow off some steam. She waited for him to come back for several hours after that but he never returned. She went to bed alone, waking up the next morning to find him sprawled out asleep on the sofa.

* * *

This was the first fight the couple had had where there was no making up afterward. Lacey tried her best to get Danny to come around, but it seemed that he'd taken up permanent residence in the dark place after that night. He withdrew from her completely, spending more and more time drinking and partying with his old crew than at home with her. His art took a dark turn, too, and Lacey began to feel less and less a part of his life. She'd declined the publishing offer, understanding the damage that going ahead with it would have done to her now very tenuous relationship. She worked hard to make things better between the two of them, but every effort she made only seemed to make Danny fall further and further away from her. Their fights, once something that only happened rarely, were now an everyday occurrence. The severity of the arguments increased as well, with both of them slicing away at each other with such vengeance that it left them both hollow inside at the end.

The final straw, though, came one night about eight months into their relationship. The two of them had been fighting earlier that day over Jo's incessant texts to Danny at all times of the day and night. Jo was nearing the last weeks of her pregnancy, and although Danny still showed no enthusiasm for the child's impending arrival, he catered to Jo in a way that made Lacey feel neglected and unloved. She suspected that Danny'd begun sleeping with Jo again, or that he would soon, and her insecurity often spilled out into their arguments. That morning she'd lashed out at him after he curtly informed her that he would be out fairly late that evening, citing an appointment for Jo as the reason. Lacey knew he was lying to her, and when she called him on it, he didn't even bother fighting with her. Instead he just walked away, leaving her to her anger.

She came home that evening with the intention of creating a special evening for the two of them. She decided that she would cook him a very special dinner before offering herself to him as dessert. In his despondency Danny had withdrawn from her physically as well, rarely showing her affection. She went over the plans to change that as she rushed in to start dinner and clean up before he came home from wherever it was he'd been with Jo that afternoon. What she saw when she stepped off the elevator, though, stopped her in her tracks. Danny was sitting on his stool, working on one of his paintings while Jo was draped across his shoulders. Lacey watched as the girl ran her hands through Danny's long hair, making a line of kisses from his neck up to his lips. He turned, allowing her to kiss him before returning to his work, oblivious that Lacey had come home. Jo wasn't oblivious to her, though. She lifted her head off Danny's shoulders, a triumphant smile on her face as she waved Lacey in. She moved around Danny, straddling his lap…

Lacey quickly made her presence known before they had the chance to go any further, although she imagined that they probably already had before she got there. Danny, appropriately flustered, knocked Jo off his lap as he rose, trying to put as much distance between himself and Jo as possible. Not that it mattered – Lacey had already seen enough. Danny whispered something to Jo, sending her on her way as he prepared to do damage control with Lacey.

It was too late, though. All of the anger and frustration they'd been feeling for the last few months came to a head as they tore at each other with their words. The rage, the abandonment, the resentment – it all came pouring out as they cut into each other. Finally spent, Lacey told Danny that she had had all she could take, and he, going for the jugular, told her to go.

* * *

**A/N - this was a hard chapter for me to write, and I have mixed feelings about how it turned out. I actually went ahead and wrote the two chapters that follow this one earlier today, and I had to go back and make this one fit the overall direction. I don't usually write out of order like that, and I'm not sure if I'm pleased with the results. It's also Scandal Thursday, so it took me awhile to get back into Dacey mode after my weekly dose of Olitz (hence the super late update). **

**What I will say, though, is that I'm really proud of the next two... they came together really well, so even if you don't like this one I hope you'll stick around for the fallout. And please feel free to review, even if you're not crazy about this chapter - I'm always open to some constructive criticism as well.**

**Goodnight all - I'll post the others tomorrow once I've had time to proofread. - KL**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: So thank you guys for the patience and the reviews - as promised, the next two chapters will be posted back to back.**

**Also, I wanted to clear up a few things about the last chapter before we moved on. 1. - Danny didn't hit Lacey. I know it looked like he came close there when he slammed his fists into the wall, but even dark Danny wouldn't hurt her that way (someone else maybe, but not her). Still, the fact that he killed his aunt clearly demonstrates that, given the right catalyst, he has the propensity to be violent (remember that - that's important later on).**

**2. - Danny didn't sleep with Jo. He was just being an ass, and feeling himself a little too much. **

**This one and the next are full of angst as well... it'll get better (eventually), but for now they're still going through. Song inspirations for this chapter were: Stay by Rihanna/Mikky Ekko and Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus (don't judge me)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Why don't you just go – it's clear you don't want to be here anymore. You've told me over and over again about how you 'can't handle this anymore'. Well, if that's the case, Lacey, then what are you still doing here? Get the fuck out! Get out_!"

His cruel words were on repeat in her mind as she lay in the backseat of the taxi, a sobbing, crumpled mess. Making her way back to the little apartment she'd all but abandoned in her last few months with Danny, it took everything that she had to even get herself inside the doors and into bed. She stayed in bed for the next several days, sleeping and crying, leaving only long enough to use the bathroom. She wasn't sure how many days had passed before a knock came to her door. Her visitor beckoned her several times, but Lacey stayed still, wanting to be alone as she drowned in her sorrow. Finally, once the incessant knocking refused to be abated, she got up to answer. Unsteady on her feet from exhaustion and lack of eating, she stumbled to the door to see who it was.

"I'm coming!" Lacey rasped as the visitor continued his assault on her door, becoming more and more insistent as the minutes passed. Finally, she made it there, slinging the door open without even bothering to look through the peep hole or ask who it was.

"What do you want?!" Lacey grumbled, exasperated already as she saw who was on the other side. Rico (Danny's publicist/best friend) had come to check in on her. "_Great_," she thought to herself, "_he's sending in his lackey to do what he can't be bothered to do himself_."

Rico stepped inside the apartment, a look of shock on his face. He had expected that Lacey would take her fight with Danny hard, but he hadn't expected to see the complete mess that stood before him. Lacey looked as though she hadn't eaten in over a week, and hadn't slept in even longer. She had always exuded confidence and grace in the times when he'd met her before, but now, standing there in her giant tee shirt, hair messily strewn about her shoulders and makeup streaked down her beautiful face, she just looked frail, and lost, and afraid. Rico knew that Danny would not be pleased to hear about the sad state that Lacey was in – regardless of how many fights they'd had, he knew Danny was crazy about her and never wanted to see her hurting.

"Lacey," Rico said as he stepped forward to her, raising his arms to offer her a hug.

"Don't," she spat as she stepped back out of his grasp, "don't touch me. What do you want Rico – why are you here?"

"I came to check on you, Lacey," Rico started, "Danny and … everyone was worried about you. He's been calling you for over a week, but you haven't answered. At first he thought you just needed to cool off after your fight but then, when you kept not answering, he sent me to check in on you."

"If he cared so much, he would have come himself," Lacey said, "face it, Rico – Danny doesn't give a shit about me. He made that abundantly clear the other night."

Rico hesitated, thinking to himself, "_Oh no, what has he said to her now? She's never been this upset by their fights._" To her he simply said, "I don't know what he said to you Lacey, but whatever it was, he couldn't have meant it. He's lost without you – he wants you to come home."

"If he were so lost without me, he wouldn't have sent me away," Lacey stated icily. "I didn't leave him, Rico, he told me to leave. He told me to get out and to never come back. "

"He didn't mean it Lacey! He misses you." Rico was getting desperate – this wasn't going so well.

"He meant exactly what he said. He chose his words carefully, and he made sure that they would have the most impact. He hit me right where it hurt, and he meant every single word, Rico. Every. Single. Word. " Lacey unleashed all the hurt and anger she'd been feeling throughout the week on Rico, sure that he would convey the message back to Danny. "If he really cared about me, he would have come to find me himself instead of sending you. I've stood by him through so much, only for him to treat me this way. I'm not going back to him again, not this time. Not after…"

Lacey's words faltered as she dropped to the ground, crying again. "_Dammit_!" she thought to herself, "_Why am I so weak? Why do I have to fall apart every time? How many times does he have to hurt me before I finally get the picture? He. Doesn't. Love. Me. Danny Desai doesn't love anyone but himself_."

Lacey had been crying so hard that she didn't realize she'd voiced her thoughts aloud. Rico stood stunned in the doorway, at a loss for how to help her. Finally, he picked her up and gently carried her back to her bed, laying her down and holding her as she cried herself completely out. Once she had fallen asleep from the pure exhaustion, he covered her up and made her a fresh glass of water to sit at her bedside table along with some extra-strength Tylenol. He wished that he could tell her that Danny loved her more than anyone else in the world, but he knew it was no use. The only person who could get that message across to her was the man himself, and Rico knew his friend was too stubborn and afraid to really go after her. Danny, he knew, simply assumed that this was one of their usual fights, and that she would eventually get over it. However, seeing the complete brokenness of Lacey that afternoon, Rico wasn't sure she ever would, or that she would ever come back to Danny. His heart broke as he looked in on Lacey's sleeping form one more time before leaving, wondering idly when (if) he would see his friend again. Rico knew as he left without a doubt that she wouldn't be coming back to the studio any time soon. He also knew, as much as he hated it for Danny, her leaving him was probably for the best.

* * *

Lacey woke with a start to the sound of the city coming to life outside her window. The last slivers of sunlight cut through the darkness in her dimly lit apartment, and she realized that it was evening once again. She sat up groggily, not immediately noticing the figure sitting in the chair in the opposite corner. The vertigo she experienced as a result of not having eaten in almost a week made her lie back down immediately, and she closed her eyes, mentally willing the room to stop spinning.

"Hey beautiful," came a low voice from the other side of the room. Initially, she thought she must have imagined it, but soon the figure got up from the chair and made his way to the bed. She sat up instantly, balling herself up into a protective cocoon as he sat down beside her.

"Why are you here?" she asked him guardedly, "and how long have you been sitting there?"

"I'm here," he said gently, "because I missed you, and I wanted to see you. I've been here for a couple of hours. You've been asleep since this morning." Danny reached out to touch her face, and couldn't ignore the hurt he felt as she recoiled from his touch. "Are you afraid of me, Lace? Do you think that I'm going to hurt you?"

"You couldn't possibly hurt me any more than you already have, Danny," Lacey spat coldly, "and don't call me that. It isn't fair."

Danny could see that she was angry with him and determined to freeze him out. Maybe he deserved that after what had gone down between them in the days before. God, what had he said to her again? "_You're the idiot that keeps coming back to me. If I hurt you so much, why don't you take the hint and leave me the fuck alone?_" How could he have thought, much less said such awful things to her? He would have to make it up to her, he decided. And he would start that right now – by taking care of her.

He got up from the bed and went into her bathroom, running her a warm bath. He added all of the relaxing essential oils that he found beside the tub, and once it was full enough for her to relax comfortably, he went back to the bed to get her. He carefully undressed her, picking her up and depositing her in the bathtub. When he went to help her bathe herself, she froze up, brushing his hands away.

"I don't need help," she said to him, "just wait outside please."

Danny did not want to leave her alone, but did as she asked. He hurt deeply seeing the pain he had inflicted on her. He wanted to show her that he hadn't meant any of it, and that he was sorry. As he waited outside the door for her to finish her bath, he began to look around her bedroom. It was obvious from the state of disarray of the room that she hadn't done much over the last week except cry and sleep. He wondered if she'd eaten at all since she left his studio, and assumed that she hadn't. He quickly walked out of the room, placing a quick call to her favorite restaurant for a delivery order. He then set about making her room more comfortable for her when she returned. He changed the stale sheets, and exchanged the tear-stained pillows for clean, fluffier ones. He collected the stray clothing she had discarded earlier and placed it in her hamper, and then lit a few of her aromatherapy candles to create a relaxing mood for her. Lastly he put on some music for her, the soft rock that she always liked to listen to. Moments later, the food was being delivered, and he went to the door to collect his order and pay just as she was exiting the bathroom.

After closing the door behind the delivery man, he beckoned her into the front room, where he was setting up dinner on her coffee table. She watched him silently as he prepared her plate for her, and pushed her to eat. Lacey hadn't realized until then just how hungry she was. Lying in bed all week hadn't required the expenditure of much energy, and the emotional pain that she felt largely overshadowed the physical pain the hunger must have caused her – she hadn't even noticed it. Now though, she struggled to remind herself to pace her food intake, knowing that although she was famished, eating too much too quickly would make her sick. She ate a few bites from her plate before pushing it away – it was too rich and she could feel the queasiness coming on.

Danny, anticipating her weakness, went to her, scooping her up and carrying her back to bed. She sunk down into her pillows, enjoying the feel of fresh sheets and pillows. Danny hesitated standing over her, not really sure what she wanted him to do at that point. Lacey pulled him down to her, and he situated himself lying in the bed beside her, his arms around her. She still hadn't spoken to him since she took her bath earlier, and he was somewhat worried about that. Still, not wanting to push his luck, he simply put his arms around her, holding her and nuzzling her damp hair.

They lay that way for some time before Danny spoke to her again. "I'm sorry, Lace," he said to her quietly, thinking that she'd fallen back asleep in the quiet in between. She shifted, turning around to face him. She looked deep into his eyes and began crying. He leaned in, kissing her cheeks and tasting the salty tears that spilled down her pale cheeks. She had lost much of her color over the last week, but to him she was still beautiful. He made his way from her cheeks to her lips, kissing her gently at first, but becoming more forceful as she responded. Sex was always the way they had made up from these fights in the past. Their physical connection to each other transcended the hurt caused by the words they couldn't say to each other sometimes. He needed to show her now how much he loved and adored her. He could feel her on the edge, slipping away from him, and he knew he needed to bring her back to him before he lost her forever.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN - Warning - explicit content ahead. If you're not into that, read down to the first line break and then pick it back up after the second one. Oh yeah, and as usual, I don't own the song, yada yada yada**

**Reviews are love - please keep them coming! - KL**

Lacey, for her part, simply acquiesced to whatever he needed at the moment. She knew what he was doing, what he was trying to accomplish with this, but she also knew that she needed to feel loved and wanted and needed tonight. She received his tender kisses, reciprocating them back to him as he worshipped her body.

Somehow, without her knowing it, Danny had managed to come completely undressed, and they lay there together, his body pressing into hers with need. He took his time with her, kissing each part of her slowly, making sure to pay attention to her every movement and reaction. He wanted to kiss away all of the hurt that he had caused her over the last few weeks, he wanted to make it all better for her.

* * *

He made his way down from her lips, kissing and nipping lightly at her collarbone in just the spot he knew she liked best. He then continued to make his way lower, planting a kiss between her breasts before continuing. He palmed her left breast in his strong hands, tugging and twisting her already engorged nipple. He knew she was especially sensitive here, and he continued his hand play while taking her other breast into his mouth. He sucked gently on the brown areola, rolling it through his teeth with his tongue and eliciting satisfied moans from his lover. After a few minutes he switched, pleasuring the nipple on the left with his mouth while busying his hand with the right breast. He felt the heat of her core against him as her arousal grew, and he reached down between them to feel the full extent of her want for him. He felt her wetness before he'd even parted her lips, and he knew that she was ready for him. He ran a finger up and down her wet slit, pausing momentarily to put pressure on her throbbing clit before retreating back into her folds to gather more of her juices on his fingers. He brought the soaked digits back up to her face, and coated her lips with her own essence as he lined himself up at her entrance. She moaned lightly, wanting desperately to feel him inside her. Slowly, deliberately, he pushed himself inside her, and they were one once again.

He kissed her hard, savoring the taste of her on his lips as he pulled himself out almost entirely before pushing himself back into her, filling her to the hilt with himself. He bore into her over and over, making love to her with such concentration that it was as if she were the only person in the world to him. Truthfully, right then, she was the only person who mattered. She dug her nails into his back and he relished in the delicious agony she caused him as she raked across his sensitive skin. He continued his ministrations, his thick member ravaging her slick hole as he tried desperately to communicate to her just how much he needed her.

Soon Lacey felt that familiar tightening in her core. She wrapped her legs around him tightly as she braced herself for her climax. Knowing that she was nearing the edge herself, Danny fought to maintain his rhythm as he neared his own. He leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss, just as she reached her peak. She turned her head just before his lips reached hers, biting down savagely on his shoulder as her body rocked with the convulsions of ecstasy. The combination of pain and pleasure was (as always) too much for Danny, and he reached his climax as well, spilling his seed deep inside of her.

* * *

They lay back on her bed, both gasping for air and willing their heartbeats to return to a normal pace. He looked over at his beloved, silently memorizing each line of her face, each curve of her body, instinctively knowing that he wouldn't be seeing her again for some time. As if on cue, the music he'd started playing for her earlier switched songs. The new track was heartbreaking in its accuracy – almost as if it was written just for them. He leaned over to gather her into his arms, whispering that he loved her over and over again, but still she said nothing. He laid that way for the rest of the night, listening to the winsome guitar from the songs on the stereo and holding Lacey as close to him as possible.

"_It's not a silly little moment, it's not the storm before the calm,  
This is the deep and dying breath of this love that we've been working on  
Can't seem to hold you like I want to, so I can feel you in my arms  
Nobody's gonna come and save you, we pulled too many false alarms  
We're going down, and you can see it too  
We're going down, and you know that we're doomed  
My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room…"_

The next morning Danny woke with an uneasy feeling. He reached for Lacey before opening his eyes and realizing that he was in bed alone. He sat up and looked around, finding her sitting in the corner chair he'd watched her from the night before. He noticed that she was crying again, and dread struck him deep in the pit of his stomach. He motioned for her to come to him, but she only shook her head, staying where she was.

Finally he decided to go to her. He got up from the bed, pulling the sheet around his lower half. He knelt in front of her and placed his hands on the sides of her face.

"What's wrong, beautiful?" he asked, although if he were being honest with himself, he already knew the answer.

After a long minute, she finally spoke, "I can't keep doing this with you, Danny. I won't keep doing this to myself. You need to leave."

A thousand different arguments ran through his head at that moment. He wanted to tell her all the reasons she shouldn't send him away, all the reasons they were meant to be together, all the reasons he couldn't live without her, but the look on her face stopped him from doing any of that.

"I need time away from you, Danny, I need time away from us. I need to figure out who I am again – without you." She sounded so small and afraid. Had he done this to her? Had he taken his beautiful butterfly and crushed her under the weight of his love? No, he wouldn't lie to himself about that. It wasn't his love that had pushed her away. It was his secrecy and his insecurity. He loved her so much, yet he had chosen self-preservation over honesty, abusing her trust each and every time. And now, she'd finally had enough. She wouldn't be coming back to him this time.

"But I love you, Lace," he began in a feeble attempt to get her to reconsider, but she cut him off before he could even truly begin.

"If you really love me like you say that you do, Danny, you'll stop hurting me and let me go. I need to figure this out on my own, and you need to deal with your own issues away from me. Figure out what you're going to do about Jo and the baby… whatever… but let me go."

He wanted to cry for the first time in as long as he could remember. Was the best thing that had ever happened to him really walking out of his life, just like that? Was it really that simple, after all they had been through together, had they really come to this point?

He sighed, knowing that he had to let her go. If this is what she needed, then he would have to do as she asked.

"I'll never stop loving you, Lacey Porter. If you ever change your mind, no matter how far down the road it is, let me know. I'll be waiting."

With that, he turned to gather his clothing, getting dressed in under two minutes while Lacey continued to stare blankly out the window. When he got ready to leave, she reached for his hand and pulled him in for a hug. She buried her face in his chest for a long time before finally raising her eyes to look at him. He leaned down and captured her lips for one last kiss. Their kiss was fiery and passionate and carnal and desperate, heartbreaking in its intensity and the sense of finality that it brought with it. She knew in that moment that he loved her with everything that he had, and he knew that it still wasn't enough. All of the hurt he had given her over their months together would not be healed so quickly – she still needed him to go. Once it was over there were no words to be spoken, no more cases to plead. He righted his shirt, slipped on his shoes, and walked out of her life.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN - Okay guys, this one is a long one, and we move forward in time quite a bit by the end. There is no Lacey at all in this chapter (except in passing mentions), but there's plenty of dark, scary Danny, crazy Jo, a baby, and even Rico, who's up for the award for Wingman of the Year.**

**I hope you enjoy it, and don't worry - Lacey will be back next chapter!**

**Reviews are love - send me some, please! :)**

Walking away from Lacey that day was the hardest thing Danny had ever done. The only thing that came close to the way he felt now had been losing his little brother. He thought back to the day they told him Rubin had died. He remembered the rage and despair he felt at being confined behind the walls of the detention center, angry with himself that he hadn't been there for his brother the way he should have. He had given up everything to protect Rubin from the sickness their aunt Tara had inflicted on him for his entire life. The "accidents", the unnecessary medication that she forced on him almost daily… Danny hadn't known at the time that Tara had been sick herself. The term "Munchausen by Proxy" didn't mean anything to an eleven year old kid. All Danny knew was that Tara was poisoning his baby brother and he needed to protect Rubin from her. He was always saving Rubin from things – thunderstorms, the kids down the street – everything. It killed him to know that in the end though, the one thing he couldn't save Rubin from was himself.

Danny had often wondered if Rubin did what he did because of him. Had his baby brother felt abandoned in his absence? Had the stigma of being "Danny Desai's little brother" been too much for him to handle? What was it that went through his mind in the seconds before he stepped off that chair, before the belt tightened around his neck crushing his larynx under the weight of his body? And why hadn't anyone noticed the signs in enough time to save his little brother?

* * *

The dark place became Danny's permanent home in the weeks after Lacey's departure from his life. He withdrew from everyone around him, holing himself up in his studio for days at a time, slinging paint across his canvases and drinking himself into oblivion. Danny had never been much of a drinker in the past, but he found the numbing effects of the alcohol soothing to his overworked mind. It was only after his third shot of whiskey that he was able to block out the mental images of Lacey's face. He didn't want to forget her, but remembering was too painful.

Jo, although happy that Lacey was no longer a factor in their lives, was disgusted to see the way that Danny fell apart without her. She spent every day trying to come up with ways to distract him, but it was difficult to do so when he was in this state. Jo was only days away from her due date at this point, and it frustrated her beyond measure that Danny seemed to all but ignore her. She wanted him to be excited about the baby, about them becoming a family.

Things only got worse between them after the baby was born. Life as new parents was tough on the both of them. Jo and the baby (a beautiful little boy whom she'd named Grayson) moved into the studio with Danny once she was released from the hospital. She'd hoped that Grayson's arrival would have brought them closer together, but Danny maintained his cool distance from her. With Grayson, however, he was perfect. Having the little boy around seemed to be the only thing that brought Danny out of his perpetual funk, and Jo found herself becoming increasingly jealous of Danny's connection with the child.

Predictably, it didn't take long for Jo's frustration to come out. It happened one afternoon – Danny had taken Grayson out for a walk around the block, but Jo (as usual) decided to stay in. She sat on the sofa in the studio, quietly seething. "_How is it that I go to all the trouble to have that damn baby for Danny and he STILL acts as though I don't exist? What else does he want from me – what else could I possibly do?_"

Jo became angrier and angrier as she thought of all the reasons why Danny should love her, and all the times that he had proven he didn't. Twenty years they'd known each other, and for twenty years Jo stood by him through everything. Murder, prison, depression, other women – Jo had endured it all to be with Danny, and yet he still couldn't offer her the only thing she had ever asked of him in return. She'd destroyed her mind and body because of Danny – he'd ruined her…

Danny and the baby returned to the studio, ice cream covering both their faces.

"What the hell happened to Grayson?" Jo said when they walked through the door, malice dripping from her words.

"Oh that?" Danny said distractedly, barely acknowledging her as he used a wet wipe to clean the sticky residue from the baby's cheeks. "I took him out for ice cream to celebrate."

"Celebrate what, exactly?" she asked, still asserting her obvious disdain. "_What the hell is so special about that baby, anyway_?" she asked again internally.

"Jo, he's six months old today," Danny stated plaintively.

Maybe it was the tone in his voice when he spoke to her, or maybe it was the way he looked at her without really looking at her. Maybe it was the care that he was showing baby Grayson - care that he'd never shown her, ever. Whatever it was, it brought Jo to her breaking point and she just _snapped_.

"So fucking what, Danny?" she yelled at him. "That isn't even an actual birthday! My birthday was two weeks ago and you didn't even fucking remember!"

"Jo," Danny said, doing his best not to get angry. He did not feel like doing this with her tonight.

"No, Danny," she broke in, "you're going to listen to me. I am sick of always being second place in your life. First it was Rubin, then it was your precious _Lacey_… now I'm playing second fiddle to my own fucking son! When am I ever going to get the chance to be first? For once can you at least pretend like I fucking matter to you?"

"Jo," Danny started again, "you need to calm down – you're scaring Grayson."

"I'm scaring Grayson, I'm scaring Grayson, Grayson, Grayson, Grayson! All I ever hear you say is Grayson this and Grayson that, what Grayson wants, what Grayson needs – what about me, Danny? What about what I need?"

"What you need, Jo, is to calm the fuck down," Danny said, an unmistakable edge now coloring his voice. It was obvious that Jo was drunk again ("_Or high, whatever – does it even matter at this point_?" he thought), and he hated it when she was this way around the baby. It was bad enough that she had been using while she was pregnant – they were lucky Grayson had been born without any obvious health or developmental issues. "You don't need to be around our son when you're like this."

"You don't get to tell me what to do with my son, Danny! He's my son – I'm his mother," she ranted.

"And I'm his father, Jo," he countered heatedly, "regardless of what you think about it, I have just as much sayso in his life as you do – maybe more because you're clearly not fit to be a parent to him."

"Yeah, because taking a 6 month old baby out for ice cream suddenly makes you 'Father of the Year' material," Jo spat sarcastically.

"At least I'm putting forth the effort to be a good parent! You don't even try to be a good mom – why is that Jo?" he challenged her.

"Why do you even care, Danny? It isn't like he's your kid anyway!" The words were out before she even realized what she'd done. She slapped her hands over her mouth in embarrassment, clearly surprised at her confession. She hadn't been planning on telling Danny that tonight (or ever, really), and now she worried about what his reaction would be.

Danny stood, looking at Jo with an expression of confusion and shock. Had she really just said that him?

He advanced toward her slowly, backing her up against the wall as he asked, "What did you just say to me?"

When she didn't respond immediately, he asked her again, "What did you just say?"

"Danny, I can expl…" she'd started the sentence but the words never fully came out. Danny wrapped his hands around her neck, squeezing her throat tightly and lifting her off the ground. His anger at that moment was so strong that all he could think of was ending her. His mind flashed with a thousand different images, all the times that she had fucked up his life. He thought of all the times he'd had to pick her up from falling, all the lies he'd covered up for her, all the ridiculous drama he'd endured, all the things in his life that she'd destroyed just by being present.

He continued to throttle her, watching as her pale skin changed colors as the lack of oxygen took effect. She'd first turned red, then purple, and now her skin was becoming an ashy blue. He squeezed harder, noting with satisfaction the way that her eyes bulged subtly. She'd taken away everything he held dear in life… so now he would take away hers.

* * *

The next morning he awoke in a hotel room, barely remembering anything that had happened the night before. He felt sore, as though he'd been in a fight, and the bloody swelling he saw on his knuckles confirmed his suspicion. He saw Rico sitting at the desk across from the bed, busily typing on his laptop. When the other man turned around to face him, Danny noticed regrettably that he had a black eye.

"Dude," Danny said groggily, "where are we? What the hell happened last night?"

"Don't 'dude' me, Danny. This is serious – you could have killed her last night!" Rico responded, turning back to whatever he was doing on his computer.

"Killed her?" Danny said, clearly confused, "Killed who, Rico?"

"Jo, you idiot," Rico said, looking at Danny incredulously. "If I hadn't gotten there in time to pull you off of her you would have. Are you seriously telling me you don't remember any of that?"

Danny fought hard to make sense of the murky haze that was his memory from the night before. He remembered bits and pieces – Jo had been drunk, she'd said something to upset him, his hands around her neck… "Grayson" he breathed aloud.

"Yeah, Grayson," Rico said, "You almost killed his mom last night, Danny. What was that about, anyway?"

"She told me he isn't mine, Ric – she told me the baby I've been taking care of for the last six months is someone else's kid." It all came rushing back to Danny at once. He remembered the fight, Grayson's crying, him struggling with Rico as the latter pulled him away from a limp and barely breathing Jo.

"Oh my God, what have I done? Is she okay? Is she pressing charges? Am I going back to prison?" Danny was on the verge of a full on panic attack as he realized the grave sin he'd committed the night before.

"She's with her parents, being checked in to a rehab facility upstate. They filed a motion for emergency custody this morning, and they have Grayson now." Rico hesitated before telling Danny the next part.

"I spoke with Chief Masterson this morning for a long time. They're not going to press charges against you Danny, but only on one condition. You have to get help. You need to see a counselor and really deal with these issues that you have. You were doing really well there for awhile, but lately you're falling apart. It's like you're a different person since…"

Rico trailed off, not completing his sentence, but Danny didn't need him to finish to know what he was planning to say. "_I'm a different person since Lacey_," he thought. It had been more than six months since Lacey sent him away, and in that time he hadn't seen or heard anything from her. He knew that Rico checked in on her sometimes, and he'd told Danny that she was doing well but never went into anything specific. He hoped that Rico never told her how well he was not doing without her – he couldn't handle Lacey knowing how far he'd fallen.

"Do you think she'll ever come back to me, Ric?" Danny asked hesitantly. He needed hope, needed to know this eventually got easier.

"I'm not sure man," came Rico's reply, "but even if she did, do you really think she'd want you like this? You've got to get better – not for her, for yourself. I know you miss her, but if you want her back, you need to learn how to be the man she needs. And the only way you're going to be able to do that is to face these demons of yours and let them go. Lacey needs a clean start and so do you."

Danny mulled over his friend's words for several minutes, considering the truth in what he'd said. Rico was right – as much as Danny missed Lacey, he knew that he was in no condition to be the kind of man she wanted and needed. She needed someone who could be honest with her – Danny hadn't even been able to be honest with himself, which is exactly what drove her away in the first place. He decided then that he would do whatever he had to in order to get her back.

"Fine," Danny said with resignation, "any suggestions on a good therapist?"

* * *

Therapy turned out to be the best choice Danny could have made. He began seeing his counselor, an older woman named Carol who reminded him of what he imagined a normal mother was like, on a weekly basis. With Carol's help, Danny was able to have several significant breakthroughs, and in the year that he worked with her, he managed to reach out and repair several relationships that he'd neglected over the years since he was released from the detention center, including re-connecting with his mother.

Therapy also helped him to understand how and why he and Jo had formed such a toxic relationship with one another. He worked through his anger and frustration while she dealt with her addiction. He eventually learned to forgive her for what she'd done to him, and he took responsibility for the damage he'd inflicted on her as well.

Although Lacey had been the initial catalyst for his starting therapy, he stayed because of himself. He still loved and missed Lacey as much as he had when they'd first parted ways, but the year and half that separated him from that awful day served to dull the pain to a degree. Danny had reached a level of acceptance and made peace with his role in their breakup. He didn't know whether she'd ever give him another chance, but he knew that because of her he had been deeply and profoundly changed. She'd been his first (and perhaps only) true love. She'd helped him discover parts of himself he never knew existed, and he was only now beginning to appreciate the change she'd inspired within him.

Carol encouraged Danny to make amends with Lacey as part of his healing process, but he wasn't sure he was ready to face her again. There were too many what if's to consider. _What if she's with someone else? What if she doesn't want to see me? What if she sends me away_? Danny had come a long way since first entering therapy, but he didn't think he was ready to face that particular possibility just yet.

Instead, he wrote a letter to her, and sent it via Rico. In it he poured his heart out, confessing all the things he'd been afraid to tell her when they were together. He told her the truth about Rubin, and about Jo. He told her how miserable he'd been after they broke up, and how for awhile he'd spiraled out of control. Finally he told her about how he'd come to find a place of peace and contentment. He ended it by letting her know that he still loved her, and that, even if she never came back to him, he would always appreciate the difference she'd made in his life. He also reminded her that the studio door was always open, whenever she was ready to come home.

Danny sealed the letter – all eight pages, handwritten front and back – and gave it to Rico to deliver when he had lunch with her the next afternoon. Then Danny did something he hadn't done in almost two years – he went to his easel set up by the windows overlooking the harbor, picked up his brush set, and began painting. It was the first light piece he'd felt like working on since Lacey left – he hadn't had much reason to smile for many months thereafter. But now, with his letter sent and his conscience cleared, Danny felt lighter than he had in years.


	14. Chapter 14

"I've got something for you, Lace," Rico said as they finished their lunch the next afternoon. Lacey looked at him as she handed the waiter her card to pay for her meal, suddenly feeling wary. Something in his tone immediately alerted her that he was nervous about whatever he needed to give her, and Lacey knew that the only reason he would be nervous was because of Danny.

She sighed to herself as he handed her the envelope, thrown off slightly by the thickness of it. She didn't open it immediately, instead she tucked it away into her bag for later. Finally the waiter returned with their receipts and she signed before standing from the table.

"Thanks for another lovely lunch Rico," she said as she gathered her things to leave. "And thank you for being such a good friend to me all this time – I know you didn't have to."

"No thanks required Lacey - I'm happy to do it. I care about you… he cares about you," Rico said to her.

"I know," she said. "I still care about him, too," she added wistfully before hugging him and turning to go.

"Next week?" Rico called after her.

"Same time, same place," she said over her shoulder, giving him a small smile before walking out the door.

* * *

Later that evening Lacey still hadn't managed to talk herself into opening Danny's letter. She'd gone through the motions in all of her afternoon classes, distracted and distant, before finally making her way home at the end of the day. Her bag felt so much heavier with the knowledge that the letter was inside of it, and she couldn't wait to get home.

She poured herself a glass of pomegranate wine, settling herself onto her couch and placing the sealed envelope on the coffee table in front of her. She eyed it warily, wondering what it contained. She hadn't seen or heard from Danny in over 18 months and she wondered what made him reach out to her now. What changed?

Lacey thought briefly over the direction her own life had taken over the last year and a half. At first she'd been an emotional wreck after Danny left, spending many more days crying and raging, wondering when and why it all fell apart. She took responsibility for the role she played in the dysfunction, and she'd held out hope that they could eventually work things out. Then Rico had started coming around to check on her. He never really spoke much about Danny, preferring to keep the focus on Lacey and how she was doing unless she specifically asked. It took almost two months for her to finally get up the courage to ask Rico about Danny. She remembered the way Rico had looked at her sadly as he told her that Danny and Jo were living together now and raising their baby – _Grayson_, she thought idly. She remembered thinking that was such a beautiful name for a little boy, and she wondered if he had inherited his father's eyes or hair, wondered what their children might have looked like if she and Danny had been given the opportunity to have them. She imagined a pretty little girl and boy with butterscotch colored skin and thick, wavy black hair. Their daughter would have his nose, and their son would have her smile. Her heart broke a little more as she realized that she missed them already, even if the only place they'd ever existed was in her mind.

Lacey never asked Rico about Danny again. When he'd tried to broach the subject with her a few months after that, she'd cut him off before he even got started, telling him that she didn't want to talk about Danny anymore, that she just wanted to move on with her life. Rico had respected that, and he'd never brought Danny up again to her until today.

She set down her glass and picked up the letter, looking at the creamy thick paper of the envelope. She ran her hands over the messy script on the front – her name scrawled in charcoal pencil as if he'd done it in a hurry. She wondered if he'd been working on something else when he wrote the letter to her, or if he'd had to complete it quickly before Jo came back home. Lacey had come a long way since the breakup. She was no longer the insecure and frightened girl she'd been with Danny – she'd learned to own her mind and body in a way that she hadn't known how to do before him. She too had been able to work through the baggage she'd held onto from her past relationships, offering forgiveness to others and figuring out how to forgive herself as well. Instead of sinking into depression the way she had when she ended things with Archie, Lacey sought support from her friends and family as a way to avoid losing herself again. She spent time mending fences and growing her relationships with the people around her, learning and living her life. She'd continued her photography and had created some significant buzz on the local scene for her work. She enjoyed he creative freedom that Danny had unlocked within her as much or more than she enjoyed teaching at Columbia. When she'd graduated from the program a few months earlier, they'd offered her a permanent position in the psychology department, but Lacey had yet to decide whether or not she wanted to accept it. She knew it was an amazing opportunity, but the artistic side of her wanted to see the world, chronicling her travels through her photographs. Her lease was up on the apartment next month and she'd decided that she wouldn't be renewing it. She'd been saving her money for a trip around the world, and she was looking forward to seeing whatever else the world had in store for her. There wasn't anyone special in her life at this point, and, aside from her friends, she had nothing tying her to this place anymore. A year or so abroad would be the perfect opportunity to develop her talent and continue her journey toward balance and freedom for her life.

Turning her attention back to the letter in her hand, Lacey finally decided to just go for it. She ripped open the envelope and, pulling out the contents, she began to read. All of the feelings and emotions she'd been holding back for so long came pouring out as she read through Danny's words to her. She felt heartbroken when she read about how he'd felt when Rubin died, and when he finally confessed to her the real reason he'd taken Tara's life. She was horrified when she he told her about his toxic relationship with Jo, and was relieved to hear that they'd both managed to get out relatively unscathed. She was glad to see that he'd finally sought help for dealing with his issues, and could tell from the overall tone that he'd really grown as a person since she'd last seen or spoken to him. Her heart was warmed by his closing words to her, but she didn't know how she felt about his last statement.

"_The studio door is open for you, whenever you're ready to come home – All my love, Danny_."

She read and re-read those words over and over again, repeating them to herself in her mind. He still loved her, he still wanted to make things work between them. Part of her was elated at knowing this, but another part was hesitant. Was he still with Jo? Was he even the same person anymore? Would they still want each other the way they were now? She knew from his letter that he'd changed a great deal over the last 18 months, but she'd changed, too. She wondered how he would feel about her now, knowing that she wasn't the same girl he'd fallen in love with two years ago.

She agonized over this through the night, until she finally fell into a fitful sleep. When she woke the next morning, she made a decision (although, if she were being honest with herself, she knew there'd never been any other option anyway). She would go and see him. She got up out of bed, getting dressed and fixing her hair, trying to calm her nerves. She dressed casually, wanting to look great for him but with the illusion that she hadn't intentionally _tried_ to look that way. She chose a long, floaty skirt and a fitted white camisole. The gauzey bohemian feel of the skirt's fabric allowed her to feel both comfortable and chic and the asymmetrical hemline showed just enough leg without being overly sexy. She allowed her hair, which by this time had grown well past her tiny waistline, to fall freely down her back in a cascade of little ringlets. She'd briefly considered straightening it before she went to see him, but decided against it because it would take too much time. "_Besides_," she reasoned with herself, "_he's always liked my hair curly_." Giving herself one final look in the mirror, Lacey headed out the door and toward the subway.

Lacey stepped off the subway and onto Danny's block, mentally preparing herself for seeing him. She stopped at a small corner café to gather herself before continuing toward his studio. The minute she walked into the restaurant though, she immediately regretted it. Danny was sitting at a small table in the corner, his back to her, bouncing one of the cutest little boys she'd ever seen up and down on his knee. The toddler squealed with joy as Danny lifted him up above his head, bringing him down quickly for a kiss. Jo was sitting at the table with the two of them, smiling adoringly at either Danny or the child – Lacey couldn't tell which. They looked like a perfect family and Lacey felt her insides grow cold as she watched Jo run her hands through her hair before pulling it back. On Jo's left hand Lacey saw the unmistakable glint of a diamond, and suddenly all of her resolve vanished. "_Is this really happening_?" she thought to herself, reeling. The letter, the honesty, all the things he'd said to her... had he really be engaged to Jo the whole time?

Jo looked up, alerting Danny to Lacey's presence just in time to watch her run out of the door and down the sidewalk. He got up immediately, handing off baby Grayson to his mother before starting after her. Danny ran out of the shop as quickly as possible, but it was no use – Lacey was gone again.

Walking back to the table slowly, Danny tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened. Had he really seen her? Had she really even been there? Why had she come, and (more importantly) why had she run away so quickly? His stomach dropped as he realized what must have happened, how his breakfast with Jo must have looked to Lacey when she walked in. He wondered how long she'd been there – obviously not long enough.

"What's wrong with Danny?" Tyler (Jo's fiancé) asked as he returned from the bathroom, sliding into the booth beside her and taking Grayson from her hands. Jo quietly explained what'd happened as Danny stared dejectedly out of the window.

"Dude, you're telling me that Lacey – _the Lacey_ – just walked out of here and you're just gonna let her go like that?" Tyler asked incredulously, looking at his friend.

"She ran away," Danny said despondently, "I guess she changed her mind."

"Well then go change it for her again! She obviously wanted to see you if she was here. She hasn't wandered into this side of town for almost two years, Danny – she was here for you. Something you said made her come."

"I don't even know how to begin, Ty," Danny said, "I don't know where she went or where her head is."

"So go to her damn apartment and get her! If she isn't there, wait for her. Tell her the truth and bring her back. I understand it's a delicate situation give the history between you two, but if you want her you'd better go get her. You aren't going to get another chance." Something in Tyler's words struck a chord deep within Danny. He excused himself from the table, and headed toward the subway – he was going to get her back if it was the last thing he did.


	15. Chapter 15

Lacey ran as quickly as she could away from the café, bypassing the train station and heading toward Central Park. She walked and walked, wandering around in the greenery for hours, replaying what she'd seen in her mind. Danny had looked so happy that morning as he played with the little boy. The child was beautiful, too. She could see the resemblance to each parent. Grayson had Danny's olive skin and his mother's bright blue eyes. They'd looked like the perfect little family sitting together inside the bistro… who was she kidding? Jo had told her a long time ago that she'd never be able to compete with what they had together. Now, seeing how happy the child made Danny, Lacey knew Jo's words had been correct all along.

For the second time that day, Lacey made a life-changing decision for herself. She decided that she was going to go for the trip abroad. She realized that she'd been holding on because part of her still wanted to believe that she and Danny would somehow find their way back to each other. Now she knew the bitter truth, and with it came the realization that there was no longer anything she needed to stay for. Not even waiting to get home, Lacey booked her flight for the following weekend straight from her phone. She'd give herself a week to say her goodbyes to her friends and to her job at Columbia, and then she'd be off starting over again, this time in a whole new country!

Lacey watched the sun begin going down, wishing she had her camera as she noticed the beautiful way the purple and pink and blue hues rolled together in the sky. She made her way to her apartment, her mind busy planning the details of her trip. She noticed him sitting there as she approached the stairs leading to her building, and she wondered how long he'd been sitting there. She braced herself as he looked up at her, but it was no use – one look into his eyes broke down all of her defenses. Wordlessly, she moved around him, opening the door and beckoning him to follow her in.

They stood inside her apartment for a long time, watching each other, not saying a word. He opened his arms to her, inviting her in for a hug, but she was unmoved. Lacey was determined not to fall into their endless cycle of using physical intimacy to avoid actually having a conversation. As much as she just wanted to kiss him right now, she knew they needed to talk this out first.

"So," she began awkwardly, just as he began, "Lacey…"

The stopped, laughing as they looked at each other.

"I guess we're kind of rusty, huh?" she joked, immediately lightening the mood.

"Yeah," he replied, "It's been almost two years, after all."

She thought about the gravity of what he'd said. Two years was a long time – so much had changed between them… and yet it felt as if nothing had changed. Her mind went back to when they'd first met, their first date, their first kiss… so many of the happiest moments of her life had been with or because of Danny. But she also thought about all the pain they'd caused each other, and all of the uncertainty she still had about him. Showing up at her doorstep, while a very romantic gesture, did not make up for what she'd seen earlier that day. They had to clear the air first.

"So I saw you at the café earlier," he said, trying to sound casual as he attempted to break the ice, "but you kind of ran out before I got the chance to talk to you – what happened Lace?"

Lacey felt her cheeks heating up, embarrassed that he'd seen her. Again, what had she been thinking?

"Rico gave me your letter," she offered in explanation. "I guess I was just feeling sentimental after reading it, and I wanted to see you. I'm sorry though – if I'd known about you and Jo and… I should have just stayed away."

A look of confusion came across Danny's face. "Me and Jo? What exactly did you see, Lacey?"

Lacey sighed. "_Is it really necessary to go through this with him_?" she thought to herself. To him she responded, "Nothing Danny. I just saw you and Jo and your son, sitting and enjoying breakfast together. It's fine, I just wasn't expecting to see you guys together. I mean, your letter made it seem like… and what you said at the end and… and then I saw how happy you were and Jo's ring and… Don't get me wrong, I mean, I'm really happy for you, Danny, but… I guess I was just expecting something different."

Danny looked at her in amazement – how could someone so smart be so blind?

"Lacey," he started, "Jo and I are not together, and Grayson isn't my son. I just met them there this morning to give her something that she'd left at my place a long time ago."

"But what about the ring, Danny? I know I wasn't imagining that," Lacey said, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"No, you didn't. She's engaged alright, just not to me. Her fiance's name is Tyler, and he's a really good guy. She met him when she got out of rehab and he's been really good for her and for Grayson – she hasn't relapsed once since they've been together. He was having breakfast with us this morning – you'd have met him if you'd stuck around a little longer," he said, looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite identify.

* * *

After that she relaxed enough to begin letting him in again. They talked all night and into the next day, filling each other in on all the things that had happened in their lives since they'd last seen each other. He told her all about finding out that Grayson wasn't his. This was the only part that seemed to make him wistful.

"Do you regret that?" she asked him, seeing how affected he became when talking about the little boy.

"That he's not mine?" Danny responded. "No – he's a great kid and I love him to death, but I'm actually pretty relieved he turned out to be someone else's. I'm not sure that Jo and I would have ever made good parents for a kid, because we had no idea how to even be decent human beings to one another."

She was struck by the honesty in his statement – it was just another testament to how far he'd come and how much he'd grown up over the last two years. The Danny sitting in front of her now was drastically different from the man that she'd met at that art show back then. She could see herself falling in love with him all over again given just a little bit of time, and she suddenly regretted her hasty decision to leave the country. She wanted to see where things went with them, but she'd already declined the job offer and notified her landlord she wouldn't be renewing her lease. This trip was something she'd wanted to do her entire life – was she really going to give all that up just for the possibility of having Danny in her life again?

"Danny?" she started, unsure of what she was planning to say to him. Life always seemed to get in the way for them – would this time be any different? "I need to tell you something. I'm leaving…"

"No Lace," he interrupted, automatically assuming the worst, "you can't already be running from me again. We're just talking, I'm not putting any pressure on you to make decisions about us right now…"

"No Danny," she continued, "let me finish. I don't mean I'm leaving because of you – I mean I'm actually, literally leaving. Saturday."

"What? Where are you going Lacey?"

"France, then Italy, maybe the Netherlands for awhile… I'm not entirely sure. I'm taking a year to just kind of explore the world."

"_You've got to be fucking kidding me_," Danny thought to himself. He'd just gotten Lacey back in his life, and now she was telling him she was leaving… the country… for an entire year. Did God hate him? Was the entire universe working against them? What the hell was he supposed to do with that?

"Saturday, huh?" he said hesitantly, "Well, I understand Lacey. I know your entire world didn't stop just because we broke up. Can you do me one favor before you go, though- it's really important."

"Sure Danny, what is it?" She was both surprised and sad that he seemed to be taking the news of her leaving so well. "_Well, what did you expect, Porter_?" she chided herself internally, "_it isn't like he's been waiting around on you for the last two years. Why wouldn't he be okay with it_?"

"Let me spend time with you before you leave, please," Danny asked. "We don't have to have sex, I'm not expecting anything. I just want to spend a few days with you before you run off and forget me again."

She laughed at that – forget him? It was absurd! But she agreed to his request, and began spending her days with him once again. The days seemed to fly by as Lacey and Danny got to know each other all over again. She'd said her goodbyes to her friends and family early on, freeing up as much time as possible to spend with him before she left. They would stay up for hours, barely sleeping, just talking and laughing and soaking up each other's presence. She watched as he worked on perfecting several of his most recent pieces, knowing that he had an exhibition that Saturday. He'd invited her to attend the show, but she'd hesitated. She wasn't sure if that was the last thing she wanted to see and do before she left New York for good, but Danny had insisted, promising her that it would be a special kind of farewell to her.

On Thursday night, two days before she was set to leave, Lacey and Danny had their own private farewell. It happened the way it always had in the past. First came the small touches, his fingers grazing her hand as he reached for something at the dinner table, her brushing his hair out of his eyes as they looked at each other, deep in conversation. Then, when they returned to his loft after dinner was over, he asked her to come up for awhile, not willing to let her leave him just yet. They cuddled on the sofa, watching the lights twinkle over the water as the boats moved in and out of the harbor as they'd done so many nights before. It felt like a lifetime ago to her, and yet they'd fallen back into their routine so effortlessly. When he turned to finally kiss her, it was so sweet and tender and perfect and all Lacey could think was that this couldn't possibly be the last time she would feel this with him. There had to be more for them, right?

When he asked her to stay with him that night, she agreed without hesitation. They made love to each other slowly throughout the night, savoring each touch, each kiss. It was as if no time had passed at all as their bodies came together instinctively, and the way they matched each other in motion and intensity made it seem as if they were two parts of the same whole rather than two separate people.

* * *

When the morning came, Lacey got up, gathering her things to leave. She needed time to think – she needed to figure out what she was going to do. A week ago she'd been so clear and determined with her decision, but now… she was faltering. She wanted Danny in her life, but she didn't want to go back to depending on him. She'd planned this trip for herself, and she knew without a doubt that going was the right thing for her… she just didn't know how she was going to face walking away from Danny again.

Danny, for his part, let Lacey go without argument. He knew he'd muddied the waters by asking her stay the night before, and he didn't want her to feel pressured to stay with him. He knew she was considering a lot, and he wanted her to have a clear head when she made whatever decision she came up with. After she left, he went back to work, tirelessly adjusting the crown jewel of his collection. He'd been working on this piece for as long as he could remember, and he needed it to be perfect. He needed Lacey to see it before she left him.

Danny woke the following day, barely able to remember the one before. He'd been in a trance as he worked on the painting for Lacey well into the night. He stood back, studying the piece in the morning sunlight. It was easily the best work of art he'd ever created, and he couldn't have been more pleased with the way that it turned out. The movers arrived soon after that to transport his collection to the exhibition hall for the evening's show. He smiled as he watched them carefully wrap and pack his masterpiece into their truck, taking it and the rest of his collection away. Tonight he would give Lacey a send-off that she'd never forget.

* * *

**AN - Okay guys - they're finally talking to each other again... but what happens if (when) Lacey leaves? Where does that leave them? And what's with the surprise send-off Danny has in store for Lacey?**

**Still working all that out in my head, but I think I have an ending in mind that you'll like. One more chapter after this one, and maybe an epilogue if y'all are interested. **

**Thank you for the reviews and love - my readers are awesome!**

**KL**


	16. Chapter 16

Lacey looked around her bare little apartment, feeling a bit nostalgic as she remembered all of the memories this place held for her. This had been her home for the last three years, and it was surprisingly bittersweet to see her entire life in New York packed up into boxes. The movers would be here tomorrow afternoon to take everything away to the storage she'd leased. She'd already sent what little luggage she was taking with her ahead to the airport, and all she had now was her carry on – a leather Hobo purse that was large enough to carry a change of clothes and other essentials designed to make her 8.5 hour trip across the Atlantic as comfortable as possible.

She studied herself in the mirror momentarily, trying in vain to assuage the anxious tremors building in her body. Tonight she'd decided on a pale pink strapless dress and grey sandals, keeping her makeup natural and light and her hair loose and long. She worked to make her face look relaxed and carefree, but in reality she was more scared than she'd ever been in her life. She'd made up her mind about the trip. She was sure that her connection with Danny could handle anything, the last two years had shown her that… she just hoped Danny had as much faith in them as she did.

She checked and rechecked her bag, making sure that she had everything she needed for boarding. As she rifled through the papers in her hand she came across the flyer for the exhibit tonight. She became a little wistful as she studied Danny's image on the sheet of paper, remembering the first time she'd seen him. It felt like a lifetime ago now, and yet they were still tied to each other in a way that neither distance nor time had been able to sever. Tonight would prove if his love for her was as real and enduring as what she felt for him. She took one last look around her apartment before saying goodbye to it, and to her life in New York.

* * *

Danny's nerves were getting to him as well, as he waited for Lacey to arrive at the exhibition hall. The doors had opened more than an hour ago, and it was almost time for him to be introduced. Why wasn't she here yet? A sick feeling came over him as his mind floated to the unthinkable. "_What if she isn't coming at all_?" he thought, panic rising within him, "_What if the other night scared her away?" _Worse_, "What if it didn't mean anything to her at all_?"

Suddenly he felt a distinct shift in the mood of the crowd as everyone turned to see the beautiful woman that had just arrived. Whispers swirled among the patrons as Lacey walked in, looking as stunning as ever. Immediately, Danny was set at ease. Her presence, as always, had a calming effect on him, and he was somehow able to breathe again, where he had felt suffocated and claustrophobic only a few minutes before. He rushed up to her, enveloping her in his arms.

"You came," he whispered, the relief evident on his face.

"Of course I came," she whispered back, ghosting her lips over his in a small, chaste kiss. "I told you that I would - did you think I was going to disappear again?"

The way she said it made Danny feel silly for letting his anxiety get the best of him before. She was here, she was sure of him, they were going to make this work… then he noticed the large bag she was checking with the cloakroom attendant. He realized instantly that it was a carry on, and he felt his elation dampen a bit as the fact that she'd made her decision dawned on him.

"So, you're going then." The way he said it was less a question and more of a statement. The resignation in his voice made Lacey look up from what she was doing, doubt creeping into her eyes.

"It's okay, Lace," he said, pulling her into his embrace once again. "I understand – I'll still be here when you get back."

Lacey opened her mouth to say something to him, but Rico came up just then. He greeted and apologized to Lacey for interrupting them, but it was time for Danny to take the stage.

"It's okay, babe," she said, addressing Danny with a small smile, "I know how important this is – we can talk afterward."

With that Danny turned away from her, making his way to the stage. He ascended with a drink in his hand, raising it in toast as he did his usual thank yous and acknowledgements. Lacey drifted to the perimeter of the crowd, gazing at the artwork as she waited for Danny to finish. "_He truly is an amazing artist_," she thought as she studied these new pieces. Once again, he'd managed to create a collection of art that captured to beauty and intensity of his life and emotions that went beyond the scope of what most artists could do. She'd always been amazed at his ability to create art that was so incredibly poignant, telling stories without words. She'd all but forgotten that he was speaking as she immersed herself in the overwhelming emotion of each piece. It was only the sound of his voice calling her name that brought her back to earth.

"And now I'd like to take a moment to thank someone truly special to me – someone without whom none of this would be possible. Lacey, could you come up here?"

Her cheeks flushed as she realized all eyes were on her as she made her way to the stage. She walked past everyone as they gazed at her in appreciation, but she only had eyes for the man in front of her. Rico, ever the gentleman, helped her up the small steps before handing her off to Danny. Danny took her hand, staring deep into her eyes as he continued his speech.

"Everyone – this is Lacey Porter, the love of my life. This woman is my muse, my inspiration, my lifeblood. Every single painting in tonight's collection was inspired in some way by the woman you see standing before you, and she deserves just as much recognition for making tonight possible."

The audience stood in rapt attention before breaking out into thunderous applause as Danny finished his speech. Lacey felt tears begin to prick at her eyes, and she gave him a hug before quickly exiting the stage, determined to get away from the limelight before her emotions got the best of her.

* * *

Lacey continued making her way through the exhibition, studying each piece with great appreciation. When she got to the end, she saw that there as a section of the show that was roped off from the rest. Puzzled, she turned and, noticing Danny there watching her, studied his face for an answer.

"I had this section closed off once you arrived," he said, offering her his explanation. "I wanted us to be alone when I showed it to you. Are you ready?"

Lacey was confused, but she trusted Danny. She nodded her head silently, and watched as he unhooked the velvet rope, leading her inside before quietly replacing it behind them.

There were no words as Lacey stared at Danny's surprise. He searched her face worriedly, not able to make sense of the expression he saw there. Lacey was entranced by the painting, and she studied it intensely, suddenly understanding why everyone else at the show this evening had given that reaction when she walked in. The painting was of her, sitting naked on the sofa in Danny's studio. Her body was turned at an angle that, while clearly identifying the figure as her, also served to preserve her modesty. The background was a swirling mass of colors and shapes the communicated all of the emotion he felt while working on the piece, the layers of paint representing the layers of their relationship. The dark and the light married beautifully, a perfect depiction of the intangible feelings between them. Looking back at herself, she noticed the painstaking detail he'd put into her image. Her figure was outlined in a golden light, making her look almost ethereal. Every line of her face, every curve of her body… he'd painted her as if she were in motion, a bird ready to take flight.

Her eyes traveled to the plate next to the painting, and sure enough, he'd named the piece "Songbird" after the song she'd sung to him the first night they'd made love, the first night she'd told him that she loved him. The inscription below the painting's name wasn't the usual description of the piece as it had been with all the other pieces. Instead, he'd used the last lines of the song to create a special message, just for her.

"_I wish you all the love in the world,_  
_but most of all, I wish it from myself…_  
_and the songbirds keep singing, like they know the score,_  
_And I love you, I love you, I love you_  
_Like never before_"

Lacey couldn't hide the tears that came as she turned back to him, pulling him to her, looking into his eyes. She knew in that moment she never wanted to live another day without him, and she hoped to God she never had to.

"Did you mean it?" she asked, wanting to be absolutely sure it was as real for him as it was for her before she asked her next question. Her eyes searched his, needing him to tell her he was in this, needing to hear him say those words to her.

"Lacey Porter, I've been in love with you from the day we met. I know you're leaving, I just don't care. I meant what I said to you – there isn't anyone else for me. You own me, my heart is yours for as long as I live… I'll be waiting for you when you get back." Danny said the words to her, and she felt the truth and earnestness in them. He really would wait for her as long as it took…

"I don't want you to wait for me, Danny," she said, measuring his reaction. She saw the hurt and confusion flash across his face, and so she quickly continued, "I want you to come with me. I want to experience the world with you at my side – together. I want to…"

Her words broke off as Danny's lips came crashing into hers. The kiss held such fire and passion that it made her lightheaded and dizzy on her feet. This was his way of saying yes, of saying he'd come with her, of saying he didn't want to be without her any more than she wanted to be without him. They were so engrossed in one another that they didn't notice the audience that had gathered around them, watching them from behind the velvet rope. It wasn't until the people in the crowd began clapping that Danny and Lacey broke apart, coming back to earth. They rejoined the rest of the party, accepting the barrage of congratulations and well wishers in stride. Danny made his way over to Rico, Lacey in tow, to have the latter man book a ticket for him on Lacey's flight.

"That won't be necessary," Lacey said, blushing slightly. Danny turned to look at her, confused again.

"I kind of already did that," she explained bashfully. "I didn't know if you'd say yes, but I went ahead and prepared, just in case."

Danny laughed, hugging her again. "As if I could ever say no to you." Turning back to Rico he said, "Well, I guess we should get going then – looks like we've got a flight to catch."

He made arrangements for some of his things to be shipped with Lacey's to Paris – their first destination – before heading back to the studio to pack a small bag and gather his passport. Lacey stood at the window while she waited, thinking of all the wonderful memories she'd shared with him here.

"Are you going to miss this place?" she asked as he walked behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Nah," he said, smiling into her hair, "it'll still be here when we get back. Besides, I know where my home is – wherever you are."

She turned, returning his smile, "I know exactly what you mean."

With that they walked out of the loft, hands intertwined and headed off to the airport, ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

* * *

**AN - and that, my friends, is the end of our story. Looks like Danny and Lacey got their happily ever after, after all. I'll be posting the epilogue a little later today, but I wanted to take a quick moment to tell each of you thank you for all the awesome reviews, messages, and other means of encouragement. I am overwhelmed by the positive outpouring of support for my little story, and I want you to know how much I appreciate you.**

**I'm thinking of ideas of what to write about next. I'll definitely be posting the one-shot I mentioned a few chapters ago soon, but not sure about what direction to take for a longer, multi-chapter fic. If there's anything in particular you guys would like to see me tackle, please let me know! **

**Have a great day - KL**


	17. Epilogue

Danny stared out at the ocean, the sun shining in his eyes. His long hair blew loose and free around him, and he relished the feel of the sand beneath his bare feet. He looked down at the white linen pants and shirt blowing open, smiling to himself as he thought of all the things that'd brought him to this moment. He and Lacey had spent the last ten months seeing everything in the world they could have possibly wanted. After Paris they'd spent time in London, then Italy, then Denmark. He'd taken her to Sweden where she met his mother, and then they'd moved further east. They explored parts of China and Japan before moving on to India where he showed her the village his father had grown up in before emigrating to America in his early 20s. They'd gone south after that, travelling to South Africa and then Ghana, before finally heading back to Mediterranean Europe. They'd spent the last two months in Portugal and Spain because once they'd arrived Lacey couldn't bear the thought of leaving again. Now he stood on the beautiful _Playa de Las Catedrals_, waiting for her to join him.

The violinist he'd hired began playing softly, and Danny turned his head to see her walking toward him slowly. Seeing her there completely took his breath away. He couldn't imagine a more perfect vision than the one standing before him now. She was wearing a white silk dress that was fitted at the bust but flowed down loosely around her ankles. The bright white complimented her cinnamon skin beautifully, and she appeared to be floating as she bounded down the beach toward him in her bare feet. The front of her hair was tied back at her crown, and she'd woven white flowers into the thin braids that intermingled with her beachy waves. The flowers in her hair matched the small bouquet she was holding in her hands, and he was sure that the wide smile on her face mirrored his own.

Danny's mind went back to the night he'd asked her. It was two weeks ago…

* * *

_Danny and Lacey had just returned from a day trip to Alicante, the beautiful gothic castle near Santa Barbara. They'd spent the entire day exploring the town as well as the castle, with Lacey telling him all the things she imagined their lives being like in the future. She told him about the children they'd have one day, a boy and a girl whom they'd decided to name Rubio (after Danny's brother) and Emelie (after Lacey's grandmother). They would live in the Spanish countryside in an little white church which they would renovate, converting it into their home. They would grow old together, him painting, her taking photographs, enjoying their children and later their grandchildren. The way that she described it to him so vividly made him wish that were really their lives… then a thought occurred to him. Why couldn't it be? What was stopping them from spending the rest of their lives exactly as she'd described?_

_Nothing, he decided. There was nothing stopping them from doing just that. He'd laughed to himself, remembering a line from Lacey's favorite movie (When Harry Met Sally). It was something along the lines of, "_When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible_."_

_Danny realized he didn't want to wait any longer for him and Lacey to begin their lives together. Hadn't they proven it to themselves enough that they were meant to be? What were they still waiting on?_

_Again, Danny decided that they were waiting for nothing. There was no good reason for them not to take the logical next step. So when they arrived back to the little beach cottage they'd been staying in for the last few weeks, he'd packed a blanket and grabbed Lacey's hand, taking her out to the beach. He spread out the blanket for the two of them, and sat down on it, pulling her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close to him as possible. They sat that way for awhile, saying nothing, just soaking up each other's presence. Finally, Danny got up the courage to say the words that'd been on his mind all night._

"_Lace," he began, turning her around to face him._

"_Yes, Danny?" she responded dreamily._

"_I want you to know that I love you more than life itself. You are the most important person in the world to me, and I can't imagine spending one day of the rest of my life without you. I want you with me, beside me, always. Lace – I want you to be my wife."_

_Lacey's eyes teared up at his words, and the smile that broke through her face was all the answer that he needed. "Yes, Danny Desai," Lacey said, her voice breaking slightly, "Yes, I'll marry you!"_

_He was so excited by her answer that he pulled her in for a long, lingering kiss. He lay her back on the blanket, savoring the feel of her beneath them. "_She really is mine_," he thought to himself, "_she's mine for the rest of my life_." When they made love that night on the beach, there was a new intensity to it. It was as though they were getting to know each other all over again…_

* * *

Danny came back to present day just as Lacey arrived in front of him. He took her hand, entwining their fingers as they turned toward the minister.

"Today is the day that we have gathered to join the two of you in holy matrimony…"


	18. Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE- **

**Hey guys – just wanted to post this really quick because I've gotten a couple of messages and I wasn't able to reply to all of them. **

**I've put "Dangerous" on hold for a few days because I'm dealing with a family emergency. My grandfather is in the hospital and he isn't doing well. Love, prayers, and positive energy are greatly appreciated, so feel free to send.**

**Also – I'll pick the story back up in a few days (hopefully), and I've got an idea for another one as well. Just bear with me, please – I've not abandoned y'all!**

**Have a great weekend – **

**Kio **


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